I went to his room, and without any warning he began at once, "You never show me my boy now, Sophy; he must be grown a big child, and I should like to see him." Much startled by so unexpected a remark, I replied that the child was at Royston under the care of Mrs.Temple, but that I knew that if it pleased him to see Edward she would be glad to bring him down to Worth.
He seemed gratified with this idea, and begged me to ask her to do so, desiring that his respects should be at the same time conveyed to her.

I almost ventured at that moment to recall his lost wife to his thoughts, by saying that his child resembled her strongly; for your likeness at that time, and even now, my dear Edward, to your poor mother was very marked.

But my courage failed me, and his talk soon reverted to an earlier period, comparing the mildness of the month to that of the first winter which he spent at Eton.

His thoughts, however, must, I fancy, have returned for a moment to the days when he first met your mother, for he suddenly asked, "Where is Gaskell?
Why does he never come to see me ?" This brought quite a new idea to my mind.

I fancied it might do my brother much good to have by him so sensible and true a friend as I knew Mr.Gaskell to be.