d be pensioned off: in short, casting the whole family into the
greatest perplexity to guess what had come to the mild man. Merle found
himself a lodging, and cast a horary scheme as to what would happen to
Waife and himself for the next three months, and found all the aspects
so perversely contradictory, that he owned he was no wiser as to the
future than he was before the scheme was cast. George Morley remained
in the cottage, stealing up, from time to time, to Waife's room, but
not fatiguing him with talk. Before midnight, the old man slept, but his
slumber was much perturbed, as if by fearful dreams. However, he rose
early, very weak, but free from fever, and in full possession of his
reason. To George's delight, Waife's first words to him then were
expressive of a wish to return to Sophy. "He had dreamed," he said,
"that he had heard her voice calling out to him to come to her help." He
would not revert to the scene with Jasper. George once ventured to touch
on that reminiscence, but the old man's look became so imploring that
he desisted. Nevertheless, it was evident to the Pastor, that Waife's
desire to return was induced by his belief that he had become necessary
to Sophy's protection. Jasper, whose remorse would probably be very
short-lived, had clearly discovered Sophy's residence, and as clearly
Waife, and Waife alone, still retained some hold over his rugged breast.
Perhaps, too, the old man had no longer the same dread of encountering
Jasper; rather, perhaps, a faint hope that, in another meeting, he
might more availingly soften his son's heart. He was not only willing,
then--he was eager to depart, and either regained or assumed much of his
old cheerfulness in settling with his hostess, and parting with Merle,
on whom he forced his latest savings and the tasteful contents of his
pannier. Then he took aside George, and whispered in his ear: "A
very honest, kind-hearted man, sir; can you deliver him from the
Planets?--they bring him into sad trouble. Is there no opening for a
cobbler at Humberston?"

George nodded, and went back to Merle, who was wiping his eyes with his
coat-sleeve. "My good friend," said the scholar, "do me two favours,
besides the greater one you have already bestowed in conducting me
back to a revered friend. First, let me buy of you the contents of that
basket; I have children amongst whom I would divide them as heirlooms;
next, as we were travelling hither, you told me that, in your you