' pecoolier. There's the Capp'n, _he's_ falled in love wi'
the Professor, an' it seems to me that the attachment is mootooal. Then
Mister Lewis has falled in love with Madmysell Nita Hooray-tskie (that's
a sneezer, ain't it), an' the mad artist, as Mister Lewis call him, has
falled in love with her too, poor feller, an' Miss Nita has falled in
love with Miss Emma, an Miss Emma, besides reciprocatin' that passion,
has falled in love with the flowers and the scenery--gone in for it
wholesale, so to speak--and Dr Lawrence, _he_ seems to have falled in
love with everybody all round; anyhow everybody has falled in love with
_him_, for he's continually goin' about doin' little good turns wherever
he gits the chance, without seemin' to intend it, or shovin' hisself to
the front. In fact I do think he _don't_ intend it, but only can't help
it; just the way he used to be to my old mother and the rest of us in
Grubb's Court. And I say, Susan," here Gillie looked very mysterious,
and dropped his voice to a whisper, "Miss Emma has falled in love with
_him_."

"Nonsense, child! how is it possible that _you_ can tell that?" said
Susan.

The boy nodded his head with a look of preternatural wisdom, and put his
forefinger to the side of his nose.

"Ah," said he, "yes, I can't explain _how_ it is that I knows it, but I
_do_ know it. Bless you, Susan, I can see through a four-inch plank in
thick weather without the aid of a gimlet hole. You may believe it or
not, but I know that Miss Emma has falled in love with Dr Lawrence, but
whether Dr Lawrence has failed in love with Miss Emma is more than I
can tell. That plank is at least a six-inch one, an' too much for my
wision. But have a care, Susan, don't mention wot I've said to a single
soul--livin' or dead. Miss Emma is a modest young woman, she is, an'
would rather eat her fingers off, rings and all, than let her feelin's
be known. I see that 'cause she fights shy o' Dr Lawrence, rather too
shy of 'im, I fear, for secrecy. Why he doesn't make up to _her_ is a
puzzle that _I_ don't understand, for she'd make a good wife, would Miss
Emma, an' Dr Lawrence may live to repent of it, if he don't go in and
win."

Susan looked with mingled surprise and indignation at the precocious
little creature who sat before her giving vent to his opinions as coolly
as if he were a middle-aged man. After contemplating him for a few
moments in silence, she expressed her belief that he was a con