`` Then I 'm going to bother you to stop for a moment at Mary Bascom 's and give her a bouquet of my white lilacs . She loves 'em and I 'm not going to wait till she 's dead to send her flowers . '' `` She 's very ill just now , is n't she ? '' `` She 's got the Bascom consumption . That means she may die in a month , like her brother , or linger on for twenty years , like her father . But long or short , white lilac in spring is sweet , and I 'm sending her a fresh bunch every day while it lasts . It 's a rare night , master . I envy you your walk home in the moonlight along that shore . '' `` Better come part of the way with me , '' I suggested . `` No . '' Abel glanced at the house . `` Tamzine never likes to be alone o ' nights . So I take my moonlight walks in the garden . The moon 's a great friend of mine , master . I 've loved her ever since I can remember . When I was a little lad of eight I fell asleep in the garden one evening and was n't missed . I woke up alone in the night and I was most scared to death , master . Lord , what shadows and queer noises there were ! I dars n't move . I just sat there quaking , poor small mite .
Then all at once I saw the moon looking down at me through the pine boughs , just XXXXX an old friend .
So along at in like of since to while with