We want to ask you a few questions,
Mrs. Ragg." Upon this Tobias's mother did sit down, but it was upon the extreme edge
of a chair, so that the slightest touch to it in the world would have
knocked it from under her, and down she would have gone on to the floor. "I'm sure, gentlemen, I'll answer anything I know, and more too, with
all the pleasure in life, for, as I often said to poor Mr. Ragg, who is
dead and gone, and buried accordingly in St. Martin's, as he naturally
might, and a long illness he had, and what with one thing and--"

"Yes! yes! we know all that. Just attend to us for one moment, if you
please, and do not speak until you thoroughly understand the nature of
the question we are about to put to you." "Certainly not, sir. Why should I speak, for as I often and often said,
when--"

"Hush, hush!" Mrs. Ragg was silent at last, and then the surgeon spoke to her calmly
and deliberately, for he much wished her clearly to understand what he
was saying to her. "Mrs. Ragg, we still think that the faculties of your son Tobias are not
permanently injured, and that they are only suffering from a frightful
shock." "Yes, sir, they is frightfully shook." "Hush! We think that if anything that greatly interested him could be
brought to bear upon the small amount of perception that remains to him
he would recover. Do you now know of anything that might exercise a
strong influence over him?" "Lord bless you--no, sir." "How old is he?" "Fifteen, sir, and you would hardly believe what a time of it I had with
Tobias. All the neighbours said--'Well, if Mrs. Ragg gets over this,
she's a woman of ten thousand;' and Mrs. Whistlesides, as lived next
door, and had twins herself, owned she never--"

"Good God, will you be quiet, madam?" "Quiet, sir? I'm sure I haven't said two words since I've been in the
blessed room. I appeal to the _kernel_." "Well! well! it appears then, Mrs. Ragg, you can think of nothing that
is at all likely to aid us in this plan of awakening, by some strong
impression, the dormant faculties of Tobias?" "No, gentlemen, no! I only wish I could, poor boy; and there's somebody
else wasting away for grief about him; poor little thing, when she heard
that Tobias was mad, I'm sure I thought she'd have broke her heart, for
if Tobias ever loved anybody in all the world, it was little Minna Gray. Ah! it's affecting to think how such children love each other, ain't it,
sir? Lord bless you, the sound of her footstep was enough for him, and
his eyes would get like two stars, as he'd clap his hands together, and
cry--'Ah! that's dear Minna.' That was before he went to Mr. Todd's,
poor fellow." "Indeed!" "Yes, sir, oh, you haven't an idea." "I think I have. Who is this Minna Gray, who so enthralled his boyish
fancy?" "Why, she's widow Gray's only child, and they live in Milford Lane,
close to the Temple, you see, and even Tobias used to go with me to
drink tea with Mrs. Gray, as we was both _bequeathed_ women in a world
of trouble." "You were what?" "Bequeathed." "Bereaved you mean, I suppose, Mrs. Ragg; but how could you tell me that
you knew of no means of moving Tobias's feelings. This Minna Gray, if he
really loves her, is the very thing." "Lor, sir. What do you mean?" "Why, I mean that if you can get this Minna Gray here, the possibility
is that it will be the recovery of Tobias. At all events, it is the only
chance of that kind that presents itself. If that fails, we must only
trust to time. How old is this girl?" "About fourteen, sir, and though I say it--"

"Well, well. Do you now, as a woman of the world, Mrs. Ragg, think that
she has an affection for poor Tobias?" "Do I think? Lor bless you, sir, she doats on the ground he walks on,
that she does--poor young thing. Hasn't she grizzled a bit. It puts me
in mind of--"

"Yes, yes. Of course it does. Now, Mrs. Ragg, you understand it is an
object with our friend the colonel here, that no one but yourself should
know that Tobias is here. Could you get this young girl to come to tea,
for instance, with you, without telling her what else she is wanted
for?" "Dear me, yes, sir; for, as I used to say to Mr. Ragg, who is dead and
gone, and buried in St. Martin's--"

"Exactly. Now go and get her by all means, and when she comes here we
will speak to her, but above all things be careful what you say." "I think Mrs. Ragg is already aware," said Colonel Jeffery, "that her
son's safety, as well as her own, depends upon her discretion in keeping
his whereabouts a profound secret. We will instruct this young girl when
she comes here." Colonel Jeffery, when he heard that the medical man was of opinion that
the experiment of awakening the feelings of Tobias, by bringing Minna
Gray, was worth trying, at once acquiesced, and urged upon Mrs. Ragg to
go and see Minna. After many more speeches, about as much to the purpose
as those which we have already formed, Mrs. Ragg got herself dressed and
went upon her errand. She was instructed to say that she had found
herself unequal to being a laundress in the Temple, and so had thought
it was better to return to her own original occupation of cook in a
gentleman's family, and that, as she had the liberty to do so, she
wished Minna Gray to come and take tea with her. Thus forewarned of the
part she was to play, Mrs. Ragg started upon her mission, in which we
need not follow her, for the result of it is all that we particularly
care about, and that consisted in her bringing Minna in great triumph to
the colonel's house. Colonel Jeffery, and Captain Rathbone, who was
staying to dine with him, saw the young girl as she came up the garden
path. She was one of those small, delicately beautiful young creatures,
who seem specially made to love and be loved. Her light auburn hair hung
in dancing curls down her fair cheeks, and her beautifully shaped lips
and pearly teeth were of themselves features that imparted much
loveliness to her countenance. She had, too, about her face all the
charm of childish beauty, which bespoke her so young as to have lost
little of that springtide grace, which, alas! is so fleeting. Add to all
this a manner so timid, so gentle, and so retiring, that she seemed to
be an inhabitant of some quieter world than this, and you have Minna
Gray, who had crept into the boyish heart of poor Tobias, before your
eyes. "What a gentle quiet looking little creature," said the captain. "She is indeed; and what a contrast!" "Between her and Mrs. Ragg, you mean? It does indeed look like an
elephant escorting a fawn. But Mrs. Ragg has her good qualities." "She has, and they are numerous. She is honest and candid as the day,
and almost the only fault that can be laid to her charge is her
garrulity." "How do you mean to proceed?"