He is a weak little thing, but I will take the best of care of him, and
bring him back a healthy boy."
Burton saw no objection to the plan, and readily gave his consent,
provided his wife was willing.
Although out of danger, Geraldine was still too sick to care for her
baby, and so it went with Hannah to the old home among the rocks, where
it grew round and plump, and pretty, and filled the house with the music
of its cooing and its laughter, and learned to stretch its fat hands
toward the old grandfather, who never took it in his arms, or laid his
hands upon it. But Hannah once saw him kneeling by the cradle where the
child was sleeping, and heard him whisper through his tears:
"God bless you, my darling boy, and may you never know what it is to sin
as I have sinned, until I am not worthy to touch you with my finger.
Oh, God forgive and make me clean as this little child."
Then Hannah knew why her father kept aloof from his grandson, and pitied
him more than she had done before.
It was the first of October before Geraldine came up to Allington to
claim her boy, of whom she really knew nothing.
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