But we must be
patient. Time, and such devoted, tender love as he has from his
mother, must do much."
Mr. Farquhar was silent.
"Send him to my house for the papers. It will be a little
necessity for him to have some regular exercise, and to face the
world. He must do it, sooner or later."
The two gentlemen shook hands with each other warmly on parting;
but no further allusion was made to either Ruth or Leonard.
So Leonard went for the papers. Stealing along by back
streets--running with his head bent down--his little heart
panting with dread of being pointed out as his mother's child--so
he used to come back, and run trembling to Sally, who would hush
him up to her breast with many a rough-spoken word of pity and
sympathy. Mr. Farquhar tried to catch him to speak to him, and
tame him, as it were; and, by-and-by, he contrived to interest
him sufficiently to induce the boy to stay a little while in the
house or stables, or garden. But the race through the streets was
always to be dreaded as the end of ever so pleasant a visit. Mr.
Farquhar kept up the intercourse with the Bensons which he had
thus begun. He persevered in paying calls--quiet visits, where
not much was said, political or local news talked about, and the
same inquiries always made and answered as to the welfare of the
two families, who were estranged from each other. Mr. Farquhar's
reports were so little varied that Jemima grew anxious to know
more particulars.
Pages:
474
475
476
477
478
479
480
481
482
483
484
485
486
487
488
489
490
491
492
493
494
495
496
497
498