Well, I didn't say a word to him
next day, I thought he might not like it: but my mind wouldn't be easy,
and I looked out again, and I found that, night after night, that light
was in. Miss Constance, I thought I'd trick him: so I took care to put
just about an inch of candle in his bed candlestick, and no more: but,
law bless me! when folks is bent on forbidden things, it is not
candle-ends that will stop 'em!"
"I suppose you mean that the light burnt still, in spite of your inch
of candle?" said Constance.
"It just did," returned Judith. "He gets into my kitchen and robs my
candle-box, I thought to myself. So I counted my candles and marked
'em; and I found I was wrong, for they wasn't touched. But one day,
when I was putting his cupboard to rights, I came upon a paper right at
the back. Two great big composite candles it had in it, and another
half burnt away. Oh, this is where you keep your store, my young
master, is it? I thought. They were them big round things, which seems
never to burn to an end, three to the pound."
Constance made no reply. Judith gathered breath, and continued:
"I took upon myself to speak to him. I told him it wasn't well for
anybody's health, to sit up at night, in that fashion; not counting the
danger he ran of setting the house on fire and burning us all to
cinders in our beds. He laughed--you know his way, Miss Constance--and
said he'd take care of his health and of the house, and I was just to
make myself easy and hold my tongue, and that _I_ need not be uneasy
about fire, for I could open my window and drop into the rain-water
barrel, and there I should be safe.
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