"Come now, ma'am," said Dixon, with a kind of cheerful authority, "you know seeing Master Frederick is just the very thing of all others you're longing for. And I'm glad Miss Margaret wrote off straight, without shilly-shallying. I've had a great mind to do it myself. And we'll keep him snug, depend upon it. There's only Martha in the house that would not do a good deal to save him on a pinch; and I've been thinking she might go and see her mother just at that very time. She's been saying once or twice she should like to go, for her mother has had a stroke since she came here; only she didn't like to ask. But I'll see about her being safe off, as soon as we know when he comes, God bless him! So take your tea, ma'am, in comfort, and trust to me."

'Come now, ma'am,' said Dixon, with cheerful authority, 'you know seeing Master Frederick is the very thing of all others you're longing for! And I'm glad Miss Margaret wrote off straight, without shilly-shallying. We'll keep him snug, depend upon it. There's only Martha in the house that does not know him; and I've been thinking she might go and see her mother just at that very time, as she's been asking to. So take your tea, ma'am, and trust to me.'
