Cyrus hastily rose and drew grandma’s arm within his own.
“Perhaps it would be better to leave the discussion of this family affair until some more fitting occasion,” he said, with his most chilling dignity. “One can’t help feeling that a little better taste might have been shown in choosing a time for the confession of disgrace.” He added this in a low tone to Dave, but every one whose ears were at all sharp could hear it.
“I rather think you’re right about that,” said Dave, in a voice that he would not soften and which therefore sounded defiant. “I didn’t intend to make a scene, but it seemed to me that what Mr. Grover said of me obliged me to own up. It came out before I thought.”
“A little theatrical scene often arouses sympathy,” Uncle Horace remarked with his cool sneer. And grandma burst into tears, the pitiful, feeble tears of old age.
“Now, Horace, aren’t you ashamed?” quavered Great-Uncle Silas, who was ninety and tender of heart. “Phoebe, don’t you take on so! (to grandma). Boys will be boys. ’Twas peccydilloes, I’ll warrant; nothing but peccydilloes.”
“I never heard anything but good reports of the French children,” said Cousin Sarah Saunders, in a dry tone. “At least, not since they were young ones. It ’peared to me they had done remarkable well considering.”
Cousin Sarah Saunders had had many misfortunes and was not of the kind that sweetens in adversity. She was “real good in sickness, if she did carry her pincushion inside out,” Loveday said.
“My dear, dear friend,” said Parson Grover, with a quaver in his voice. “I think our friend is right in suggesting that we should use gentleness and—and consideration in dealing with the young and not condemn unheard——”
“We have been waiting to hear,” interrupted Uncle Horace, finishing his nuts. No one but he would have interrupted Parson Grover.
“I cannot deny,” said the minister mildly, “that it is a trying misfortune for a family that has always carried itself so honorably and uprightly, but—but the boy seems so frank and manly! May we not hope there are extenuating circumstances?”