'
"Then when you would not see them, that was a cruel blow to your ma.
Your pa did not say anything; you know your pa never does say very
much unless he's downright waxy for the time; but your ma took on
dreadful for a few days, and I never saw the master look so black;
but, bless you, it all went off in a few days, and I don't know that
there's been much difference in either of them since then, not till
your ma was took ill."
On the night of his arrival he had behaved well at family prayers,
as also on the following morning; his father read about David's
dying injunction to Solomon in the matter of Shimei, but he did not
mind it. In the course of the day, however, his corns had been trodden
on so many times that he was in a misbehaving humour, on this the
second night after his arrival. He knelt next Charlotte and said the
responses perfunctorily, not so perfunctorily that she should know for
certain that he was doing it maliciously, but so perfunctorily as to
make her uncertain whether he might be malicious or not, and when he
had to pray to be made truly honest and conscientious he emphasised
the "truly." I do not know whether Charlotte noticed anything, but she
knelt at some distance from him during the rest of his stay.
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