"
"Widow Jackson's?" he repeated, in doubt.
"Oh, I know it," Mangan said, cheerfully. And again Lionel was somewhat
astonished. How had Maurice Mangan acquired this particular knowledge of
Francie's surroundings? Perhaps his attendance at the House of Commons
had not been so unintermittent as he had intimated?
There were still further surprises in store for Master Lionel. When at
length they encountered Miss Francie--how pretty she looked as she came
along the pathway through the gorse, in her simple costume of dark gray,
with a brown velvet hat and brown tan gloves!--it was in vain that he
tried to dissuade her from giving up the rest of the afternoon to her
small _proteges_. In the most natural way in the world she turned to
Maurice Mangan--and her eyes sought his in a curiously straightforward,
confiding fashion that caused Lionel to wonder.
"On Christmas-day, of all the days of the year!" she said, as if
appealing to Maurice. "Surely, surely, I must give up Christmas-day to
them! Oh, do you know, Mr. Mangan, there never was a happier present
than you thought of for the little blind boy who got his leg broken--you
remember? He learned almost directly how to do the puzzle; and he gets
the ring off so quickly that no one can see how it is done; and he
laughs with delight when he finds that any neighbor coming in can only
growl and grumble--and fail.
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