Page:Gaskell - North and South, vol. II, 1855.djvu/26

 know you'll fret about this. I meant to have kept it from you till night, may be, or such times as that."

"What is the matter? Pray, tell me, Dixon, at once."

"That young woman you go to see—Higgins I mean."

"Well?"

"Well! she died this morning, and her sister is here—come to beg a strange thing. It seems, the young woman who died had a fancy for being buried in something of yours, and so the sister's come to ask for it,—and I was looking for a night-cap that was'nt too good to give away."

"Oh! let me find one," said Margaret, in the midst of her tears. "Poor Bessy! I never thought I should not see her again."

"Why, that's another thing. This girl down- stairs wanted me to ask you, if you would like to see her."

"But she's dead!" said Margaret, turning a little pale. "I never saw a dead person. No! I would rather not."

"I should never have asked you, if you hadn't come in. I told her you wouldn't."

"I will go down and speak to her," said Margaret, afraid lest Dixon's harshness of manner might wound the poor girl. So, taking the cap in her hand, she went to the kitchen. Mary's face was all swollen with crying, and she burst out afresh when she saw Margaret.

"Oh, ma'am, she loved yo', she loved yo', she did indeed!" And for a long time, Margaret could not