LORD CASTLEWOOD In the morning, when I was called again to see my afflicted cousin--Stixon junior having gladly gone to explain things for me at Bruntsea--little as I knew of any bodily pain (except hunger, or thirst, or weariness, and once in my life a headache), I stood before Lord Castlewood with a deference and humility such as I had never felt before toward any human being.

Not only because he bore perpetual pain in the two degrees of night and day--the day being dark and the night jet-black--without a murmur or an evil word; not only because through the whole of this he had kept his mind clear and his love of knowledge bright; not even because he had managed, like Job, to love God through the whole of it.

All these were good reasons for very great and very high respect of any man; and when there was no claim whatever on his part to any such feeling, it needs must come.

But when I learned another thing, high respect at once became what might be called deep reverence.
And this came to pass in a simple and, as any one must confess, quite inevitable way.
It was not to be supposed that I could sit the whole of my first evening in that house without a soul to speak to.

So far as my dignity and sense of right permitted, I wore out Mr.Stixon, so far as he would go, not asking him any thing that the very worst-minded person could call "inquisitive," but allowing him to talk, as he seemed to like to do, while he waited upon me, and alternately lamented my hapless history and my hopeless want of taste.
"Ah, your father, the Captain, now, he would have knowed what this is! You've no right to his eyes, Miss Erma, without his tongue and palate.
No more of this, miss! and done for you a-purpose! Well, cook will be put out, and no mistake! I better not let her see it go down, anyhow." And the worthy man tearfully put some dainty by, perhaps without any view to his own supper.
"Lord Castlewood spoke to me about a Mrs.Price--the housekeeper, is she not ?" I asked at last, being so accustomed to like what I could get, that the number of dishes wearied me.
"Oh yes, miss," said Stixon, very shortly, as if that description exhausted Mrs.Price.
"If she is not too busy, I should like to see her as soon as these things are all taken away.