Mattie did not notice the meaning in his tones; she was full of other thoughts.
"It must be a home, that you and I will try to render happy for him—for his own sake—for his dead father's," she said.
"To be sure. And if he be not happy then, it will not be our fault."
"I hope not!"
"Hope not," said her father; "do you think we may fail in the attempt?"
"If we be not careful. We must remember that he is weak and requires support—that he is blind, and cannot escape us if we weary him too much."
"Oh! I see—I see," he said, a little aggrieved; "you are afraid that I shall tire him with the Word of God. Mattie, he's not exactly a Christian man yet, and I should certainly like to make him one. There will be plenty of time for preaching the truth unto him."
"And for leaving it alone."
"Bless my soul!" he ejaculated, as though Mattie had fired a pistol in his ear.
"You will believe that I understand him best, and I think that it will not do to attack him too often with our creed. His first disappointment is over—he is teaching himself resignation—he will come round to a great extent without our help—with our help, judiciously applied, he will come round altogether."