'Don't pull it; give it a twist round.' I did, and lo and behold! a
little drawer jumped out at me from quite another part of the
secretaire.

'You see what's in it, Nelly?' says he.

It was a green leather case tied round with a bit of faded ribbon.

'Now, what I want you to do,' he says, 'is to lay that beside me
when it's all over. I have always had my doubts about the dead
sleeping so quiet as some folks say. But I think I shall sleep if
you lay that beside me, for I am very tired, Nelly,' he said, 'very
tired.'

Then I went back to his bed, where he lay looking quite calm and
comfortable.

'The end has come very suddenly,' says he; 'but it is best this
way.'

Then we was both quiet a bit.

'I may be wrong,' he went on presently, his face quite straight, but
a laugh in his blue eye. 'I may be wrong, Nelly, but I think you
would like to kiss me before I die--I know well enough you'll do it
after.'

And when he said that, I was glad I had never kissed another man.
And soon after that, it being the coldest hour of all the night, he
moved his head on his pillow and said--