You had no suspicion of me; neither
had -- had she,' pointing to Dot, 'until I whispered in
her ear at that fireside, and she so nearly betrayed
me.'
'But when she knew that Edward was alive, and
had come back,' sobbed Dot, now speaking for her-
self, as she had burned to do, all through this narra-
tive; 'and when she knew his purpose, she advised him
by all means to keep his secret close; for his old friend
John Peerybingle was much too open in his nature,
and too clumsy in all artifice -- being a clumsy man
in general,' said Dot, half laughing and half crying
-- to keep it for him. And when she -- that's me,
John,' sobbed the little woman -- 'told him all, and how
his sweetheart had believed him to be dead; and how
she had at last been over-persuaded by her mother
into a marriage which the silly, dear old thing called
advantageous; and when she -- that's me again, John --
told him they were not yet married (though close
upon it), and that it would be nothing but a sacrifice
if it went on, for there was no love on her side; and
when he went nearly mad with joy to hear it; then
she -- that's me again -- said she would go between
them, as she had often done before in old times, John,
and would sound his sweetheart and be sure that what
she -- me again, John -- said and thought was right.
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