God would not
have this child sacrificed. I see now what a coward I was."
"Never a coward, Toby, never a coward," my grandmother cried out
piteously, kissing his hand.
My grandfather put out his arm and drew me close to him.
"We must bear it together, we three," he said.
CHAPTER XXXIV
THE KNOCKING AT THE DOOR
We had dinner in the little black-panelled room off the hall, Neil
waiting on us with a great assiduity. Now that the worst had happened
and my grandfather's pride and courage had risen to meet it, it seemed
to me that he looked better than he had looked for many months. To be
sure he was very pale, but he had a look of resolution which became him,
instead of the cowed and burdened look he had worn of late.
I remember that there were pheasants on the table and my grandfather
asked where they had come from. There had been a constant shower of
delicacies rained on us from Damerstown, and we should have grown
sybarites if we had cared about such things. Neil, as though he
understood, answered him that they had been shot in our own woods, and
added that the fine peaches and grapes which were in a dish on the table
were from our own houses.
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