I always take a pleasure in remembering that I was with him to the last, and did everything that could be done for him with my own hands.  He lingered two days, and then he died.

It was the hour before the dawn, when there is always a wind, no matter how still the night, a chilly wind that seems to find out the marrow of your bones, and if you are nursing sick folk, you bank up the fire high and watch them extra careful till the sun gets up.

Sir Jasper opened his eyes and looked at me—­oh! so kindly.  It brings tears into my eyes when I think of it.  ‘Nelly,’ he says, ’I know I can trust you.’

And I said, ‘Yes, sir.’  And so he could, whatever it might have been.  What happened afterwards wasn’t my fault, and couldn’t have been guarded against.

‘Then go,’ he said, ‘to my old secretaire and open it.’

And I did.  There was rows of pigeon-holes inside, and little drawers with brass knobs.

‘You take hold of the third knob from the right, Nelly,’ said he.  ‘Don’t pull it; give it a twist round.’  I did, and lo and behold! a little drawer jumped out at me from quite another part of the secretaire.

‘You see what’s in it, Nelly?’ says he.

It was a green leather case tied round with a bit of faded ribbon.

‘Now, what I want you to do,’ he says, ’is to lay that beside me when it’s all over.  I have always had my doubts about the dead sleeping so quiet as some folks say.  But I think I shall sleep if you lay that beside me, for I am very tired, Nelly,’ he said, ’very tired.’

Then I went back to his bed, where he lay looking quite calm and comfortable.

‘The end has come very suddenly,’ says he; ’but it is best this way.’

Then we was both quiet a bit.

‘I may be wrong,’ he went on presently, his face quite straight, but a laugh in his blue eye.  ’I may be wrong, Nelly, but I think you would like to kiss me before I die—­I know well enough you’ll do it after.’

And when he said that, I was glad I had never kissed another man.  And soon after that, it being the coldest hour of all the night, he moved his head on his pillow and said—­

’I’m off now, Nelly, but you needn’t wake the doctors.  It’s very dark outside.  Hand me out, my girl, hand me out.’  So I gave him my hand, and he died holding it.  Whether I grieved much or little over my old master is no one’s business but my own.  I went about the house, and I did my duty—­ever since Master Jasper had been grown up I had been housekeeper.  I did my duty, I say, and before the coffin lid was screwed down I laid that green leather case under the shroud by my master’s side; and just as I had done it I turned round feeling that some one was in the room, and there stood young Master Jasper at the door looking at me.

‘All’s ready now,’ I said to the undertaker’s men, and called them in, and young Master Jasper, he followed me along the passage.  ’What were you doing?’