She pressed on quietly to the business she had with him, fearing to lose a further chance.
"Look here, Mr.Bates! It's not more than a few hours since I heard you were here, so I've come to tell you that I'm alive and all right, and all that I've done that wasn't very nice was your fault; but, look here, I've something else to say: I don't know why you've come here to see this old preacher, or who he is, or what you have to do with him; but it would be cruel and mean of you now, after driving me to do what I did, to tell the people here about it, and that my name isn't White, you know.

I've very nice friends here, who'd be shocked, and it would do me harm.

I'm not going to accuse you to people of what you've done.

I'm sorry you're ill, and that you've had all the trouble of hunting for me, and all that; but I've come to ask you now to keep quiet and not say who I am." He drew great sighs, as a wounded animal draws its breath, but he was not noticing the physical pain of breathing.

He did not catch at breath as eagerly as he was trying to catch at this new idea, this new Sissy, with a character and history so different from what he had supposed.