noon
-- it is a mere feminine phrase -- spoken out of compassionate impulse . Fond of me ! In my apparent condition of utter poverty , -- old , ill and useless , who could or would be ` fond ' of me ! '' Yet he dwelt on the words with a kind of hope that nerved and invigorated him , and when at noon Mary came and assisted him to get up out of bed , he showed greater evidence of strength than she had imagined would be possible . True , his limbs ached sorely , and he was very feeble , for even with the aid of a stick and the careful support of her strong arm , his movements were tottering and uncertain , and the few steps between his bedroom and the kitchen seemed nearly a mile of exhausting distance . But the effort to walk did him good , and when he sank into the armchair which had been placed ready for him near the fire , he looked up with a smile and patted the gentle hand that had guided him along so surely and firmly . `` I 'm an old bag of bones ! ''