I have christened her Jerry, and
she is my little girl, ain't you, Jerry!'
'Yah--oui--'ess,' was the answer, and there was a gleam of triumph in
the blue eyes which flashed up to Harold for approbation.
She had not, of course, understood a word he said, except, indeed her
name; but the tone of his voice was interrogatory, and seemed to expect
an affirmative answer, which she gave in three languages, emphasizing
the ''ess' with a nod of her head, as if greatly pleased with herself.
'Bravo!' Harold shouted. 'She can say yes. I taught her, and I shall
have her talking English in a few days as well as I do, shan't I,
Jerry?'
'Yah--'ess,' was the reply.
Then Mr. St. Claire tried to question her further with regard to herself
and her home, but his phraseology was probably at fault, for no
satisfactory result was reached beyond the fact that her mother was
dead, that her name was Jerry, or Derree, as she called it, and that she
had been on a ship with Mah-nee, who did _so_--and she imitated
perfectly the motions and contortions of one who is deathly sea-sick.
'I suppose she means her mother by Mah-nee,' said Mr. St. Claire; and
when he asked her if it were not so, she answered 'yah,' and ''ess,' as
she did to everything, adopting finally the latter word altogether
because she saw it pleased Harold.
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