it；〃　Brutal　repeated。　〃Mind　me；　Del。〃

Delacroix　bent；　clearly　reluctant；　clearly　not　wanting　to　let　Mr。　Jingles　out　of　his　hands　again；　at　least　not　yet。　Then；　very　gently；　he　tossed　the　spool。　It　rolled　across　the　cell；　past　the　Corona　cigar　box；　and　to　the　wall。　Mr。　Jingles　was　after　it；　but　not　quite　with　the　speed　he　had　shown　previously。　He　appeared　to　be　limping　just　a　bit　on　his　left　rear　leg；　and　that　was　what　struck　me　the　hardest　…　it　was；　I　suppose；　what　made　it　real。　That　little　limp。

He　got　to　the　spool；　though；　got　to　it　just　fine　and　nosed　it　back　to　Delacroix　with　all　his　old　enthusiasm。　I　turned　to　John　Coffey；　who　was　standing　at　his　cell　door　and　smiling。　It　was　a　tired　smile；　and　not　what　I'd　call　really　happy；　but　the　sharp　urgency　I'd　seen　in　his　face　as　he　begged　for　the　mouse　to　be　given　to　him　was　gone；　and　so　was　the　look　of　pain　and　fear；　as　if　he　were　choking。　It　was　our　john　Coffey　again；　with　his　not…quite…there　face　and　strange；　far…looking　eyes。

〃You　helped　it；〃　I　said。　〃Didn't　you；　big　boy？〃

〃That's　right；〃　Coffey　said。　The　smile　widened　a　little；　and　for　a　moment　or　two　it　was　happy。　〃I　helped　it。　I　helped　Del's　mouse。　I　helped　。。。〃　He　trailed　off；　unable　to　remember　the　name。

〃Mr。　Jingles；〃　Dean　said。　He　was　looking　at　John　with　careful；　wondering　eyes；　as　if　he　expected　Coffey　to　burst　into　flames　or　maybe　begin　to　float　in　his　cell。

〃That's　right；〃　Coffey　said。　〃Mr。　Jingles。　He's　a　circus　mouse。　Go