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568 THE ADVENTURES OF PHILIP
often been conducted, with its neat little ornaments, its pictures,
its glistening corner cupboard, and its well-scrubbed shining
furniture.
" How is the Captain ?" asks the man (alone in the company
of this Little Sister, the fellow's own heart began to beat, and his
bloodshot eyes to glisten).
He had not heard about poor pa ? " That shows how long you
have been away !" Mrs. Brandon remarks, and mentions the date
of her father's fatal illness. Yes : she was alone now, and had to
care for herself; and straightway, I have no doubt, Mrs. Brandon
asked Mr. Hunt whether he would " take " anything. Indeed, that
good little woman was for ever pressing her friends to "take"
something, and would have thought the laws of hospitality violated
unless she had made this offer.
Hunt was never known to refuse a proposal of this sort. He
would take a taste of something—of something warm. He had
had fever and ague at New York, and the malady hung about him.
Mrs. Brandon was straightway very much interested to hear about
Mr. Hunt's complaint, and knew that a comfortable glass was very
efficacious in removing threatening fever. Her nimble neat little
hands mixed him a cup. He could not but see what a trim little
housekeeper she was. "Ah, Mrs. Brandon, if I had had such a
kind friend watching over me, I should not be such a wreck as I
am !" he sighed. He must have advanced to a second, nay, a
third glass, when he sighed and became sentimental regarding his
own unhappy condition ; and Brandon owned to her friends afterwards
that she made those glasses very strong.
Having "taken something," in considerable quantities, then,
Hunt condescended to ask how his hostess was getting on, and
how were her lodgers ? How she was getting on ? Brandon drew
the most cheerful picture of herself and her circumstances. The
apartments let well, and were never empty. Thanks to good Dr.
Goodenough and other friends, she had as much professional occupation
as she could desire. Since you know who has left the
country, she said, her mind had been ever so much easier. As long
as he was near, she never felt secure. But he was gone, and bad*
luck go with him ! said this vindictive Little Sister.
" Was his son still lodging upstairs ?" asked Mr. Hunt.
On this, what does Mrs. Brandon do but begin a most angry
attack upon Philip and his family. He lodge there? No, thank
goodness ! She had had enough of him and his wife, with her airs
and graces, and the children crying all night, and the furniture
spoiled, and the bills not even paid ! " I wanted him to think that
me and Philip was friends no longer; and Heaven forgive me