Miss Benson would wonder to her brother that Mr. Bradshaw did not
propose that Leonard should accompany his mother; he only begged
her not to put such an idea into Ruth's head, as he was sure Mr.
Bradshaw had no thoughts of doing any such thing, yet to Ruth it
might be a hope, and then a disappointment. His sister scolded
him for being so cold-hearted; but he was full of sympathy,
although he did not express it, and made some quiet little
sacrifices in order to set himself at liberty to take Leonard a
long walking expedition on the day when his mother left
Eccleston. Ruth cried until she could cry no longer, and felt
very much ashamed of herself as she saw the grave and wondering
looks of her pupils, whose only feeling on leaving home was
delight at the idea of Abermouth, and into whose minds the
possibility of death to any of their beloved ones never entered.
Ruth dried her eyes, and spoke cheerfully as soon as she caught
the perplexed expression of their faces; and by the time they
arrived at Abermouth she was as much delighted with all the new
scenery as they were, and found it hard work to resist their
entreaties to go rambling out on the sea-shore at once; but
Elizabeth had undergone more fatigue that day than she had had
before for many weeks, and Ruth was determined to be prudent.
Meanwhile, the Bradshaws' house at Eccleston was being rapidly
adapted for electioneering hospitality.
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