I have prayed for you without ceasing. God grant you may
repent. Till then, I command you, keep far away from me, and from
your untainted sisters."
The child felt her mother's hand tremble quivering in her own, as
she led her from the church; but never a word did Herminia say,
lest her heart should break with it. As soon as she was outside,
little Dolly looked up at her. (It had dwindled from Dolores to
Dolly in real life by this time; years bring these mitigations of
our first fierce outbursts.) "Who was that grand old gentleman?"
the child asked, in an awe-struck voice.
And Herminia, clasping her daughter to her breast, answered with a
stifled sob, "That was your grandpa, Dolly; that was my father, my
father."
The child put no more questions just then as is the wont of
children; but she treasured up the incident for long in her heart,
wondering much to herself why, if her grandpa was so grand an old
gentleman, she and her mamma should have to live by themselves in
such scrubby little lodgings. Also, why her grandpa, who looked so
kind, should refuse so severely to kiss her mammy.
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