I know you wish well to all of us; be
sure that we all of us wish most heartily well to you and yours. I sent
for you and George, because I could not say all this unless we were
alone; it is all I can do," she said, with a smile, "to say it now."
Indeed it was, for the tears were in her eyes all the time, as they were
also in my father's.
"Let this," continued Yram, "be our leave-taking--for we must have
nothing like a scene upstairs. Just shake hands with us all, say the
usual conventional things, and make it as short as you can; but I could
not bear to send you away without a few warmer words than I could have
said when others were in the room."
"May heaven bless you and yours," said my father, "for ever and ever."
"That will do," said George gently. "Now, both of you shake hands, and
come upstairs with me."
* * * * *
When all three of them had got calm, for George had been moved almost as
much as his father and mother, they went upstairs, and Panky came for his
answer. "You are very possibly right," said my father--"the version you
hold to be corrupt is the one in common use amongst ourselves, but it is
only a translation, and very possibly only a translation of a
translation, so that it may perhaps have been corrupted before it reached
us."
"That," said Panky, "will explain everything," and he went contentedly
away.
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