Her eyes looked
so tender; and soft, and loving that he turned away impatiently; he
knew quite well how it would be; she would beg and entreat him to
forgive his little daughter when she heard, and when she looked as
bright and beautiful as she did just now he could refuse her nothing.
He stood in profound meditation for a minute or two.
"What is it you want, John?" she said. "Oh! and what do you think?
I have just found another tooth, a double one--come and look."
He came, half unwillingly, and stuck his little finger into his infant
son's mouth.
Esther guided it till it felt a tiny, hard substance. "The third,"
she said proudly; "aren't you pleased?"
"Hum!" he said. Then he meditated a little longer, and after a
minute or two rubbed his hands as if he was quite pleased with
himself.
"Put on your hat, Esther, and the General's," he said, patting that
young gentleman's head affectionately. "Let us go down to the river
for a stroll; the children are down there picnicking, so we can be
sure of some tea."
"Why, yes, that will be very nice," she said, "won't it Bababsie,
won't it, sweet son?"
She called to Martha, who was dusting the drawing-room in a cheerfully
blind way peculiarly hers.
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