When Virginia had selected for herself, or rather I had
forced upon her all she most admired, I gave a cut ivory card-case, a
filigree needle-case, and a small red scarf to my mother, who, for the
first time in her life, appeared pleased with me, and said that they
were very _genteel_, and she was much obliged to me. The remainder I put
away in my room upstairs, intending to keep some for Bessy, and give the
others to Mrs. St. Felix, the doctor, and old Nanny.
I then went to the hospital and found out my father, old Anderson and
Ben. I narrated to them much more circumstantially than I did to the old
lawyer the particulars of the capture of the privateer. Anderson put a
great many inquiries to me, as to my liking my profession, and also
concerning little Bessy, whose history I communicated to him. After my
father and Ben had left, he gave me a great deal of advice, all of which
I trust that I treasured up.
"I hear," said he, "that Spicer has been talking a good deal about you,
and inquiring very often when you were expected to return. Were you very
intimate with that man?"
I replied in the negative, and then narrated the whole history of the
spy-glass, the erasure of the name by Mrs.
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