I am noted for that.
He is a man, and he has smallpox, and he keeps a vile dog;
but I am not going to see him die for lack of care for all that."
"You're a good soul, Peter," said the doctor, looking relieved, manlike,
as soon as he found a woman to shoulder the responsibility.
I nursed Alexander Abraham through the smallpox, and I didn't mind
it much. He was much more amiable sick than well, and he had the disease
in a very mild form. Below stairs I reigned supreme and Mr. Riley
and William Adolphus lay down together like the lion and the lamb.
I fed Mr. Riley regularly, and once, seeing him looking lonesome,
I patted him gingerly. It was nicer than I thought it would be.
Mr. Riley lifted his head and looked at me with an expression in his
eyes which cured me of wondering why on earth Alexander Abraham was
so fond of the beast.
When Alexander Abraham was able to sit up, he began to make up for
the time he'd lost being pleasant. Anything more sarcastic than that man
in his convalescence you couldn't imagine. I just laughed at him,
having found out that that could be depended on to irritate him.
To irritate him still further I cleaned the house all over again.
But what vexed him most of all was that Mr.
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