I'll go now and bring them in."
He paused, however, for a minute or two, in order to compose his voice
and features, that he might not seem to set them an example of weakness,
after which he left the apartment with an appearance of greater
composure than he really felt.
In a few minutes the four returned: Bryan, with Kathleen's hand locked
in his, and Hanna, with her arm affectionately wreathed about Dora's
neck, as if the good-hearted girl felt anxious to cherish and comfort
her under the heavy calamity to which she was about to be exposed, for
Dora wept bitterly. Mrs. M'Mahon signed to Hanna to approach, who, with
her characteristic ardor of feeling, now burst into tears herself, and
stooping down kissed her and wept aloud, whilst Dora's grief also burst
out afresh.
The sick woman looked at Bryan, as if to solicit his interference, and
the look was immediately understood by Kathleen as well as by himself.
"This is very wrong of you, Hanna," said her sister; "out of affection
and pity to them, you ought to endeavor to act otherwise. They have
enough, an' to much, to feel, without your setting them example; and,
Dora dear, I thought you had more courage than you have. All this is
only grieving and disturbing your mother; an' I hope that, for her sake,
you'll both avoid it. I know it's hard to do so, but it's the difficulty
and the trial that calls upon us to have strength, otherwise what are
we better than them that we'd condemn or think little of for their own
weakness.
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