"
"His new duties do not disturb him much as yet," said Lucy. "And his
riding over here will be no trouble to him."
"Yes; there he has the advantage over me. I unfortunately have no
horse." And then Lucy began petting the little boy, and by degrees
slipped a small bag of gingerbread-nuts out of her muff into his
hands. She had not the patience necessary for waiting, as had her
sister-in-law. The boy took the bag, peeped into it, and then looked
up into her face.
"What is that, Bob?" said Mr. Crawley.
"Gingerbread," faltered Bobby, feeling that a sin had been committed,
though, probably, feeling also that he himself could hardly as yet be
accounted as deeply guilty.
"Miss Robarts," said the father, "we are very much obliged to you;
but our children are hardly used to such things."
"I am a lady with a weak mind, Mr. Crawley, and always carry things
of this sort about with me when I go to visit children; so you must
forgive me, and allow your little boy to accept them."
"Oh, certainly. Bob, my child, give the bag to your mamma, and she
will let you and Grace have them, one at a time." And then the bag in
a solemn manner was carried over to their mother, who, taking it from
her son's hands, laid it high on a bookshelf.
"And not one now?" said Lucy Robarts, very piteously.
Pages:
373
374
375
376
377
378
379
380
381
382
383
384
385
386
387
388
389
390
391
392
393
394
395
396
397