Page:The New Monthly Magazine - Volume 098.djvu/243

Rh the same time, not to permit his domestic peace to be disturbed, or the habits of his daily life to be disarranged, by the old man's prejudices—such at least as could not be borne with easily, and might not give cause of complaint. "He must accommodate himself, as my guest, to the ways of the house," thought he to himself. "He will be accustomed to them in time, and there would be no use in beginning as we could not go on."

"Your brother Samuel has not honoured his father, and he cannot succeed in worldly matters," said Philip Moses, as he seemed endeavouring to read in the countenance of his son what was passing in his mind. "But may the Almighty give him, and all our people, grace to repent, and let not His angry countenance be turned upon us to our ruin! My days will not be many," he added, earnestly; "but had it not been for my faithfully attached Benjamina's sake, I would rather have gone forth to wander over the wide world than have exposed your heart, my son, to a trial which, I fear, is beyond your strength."

Isaac's wife was quite out of humour when Benjamina went to her bedroom to tell her what had taken place.

"It will never answer," said she, "to have that old instigator of strife here in our house. He hates me already, because I am not one of your nation. It was on my account that he has never hitherto chosen to put his foot within our doors."

"No, my grandfather does not hate the Christians," replied Benjamina, cheerfully. "If he lives here, he will bring good luck and a blessing to the house. Dearest aunt, may I not get the little blue chamber ready for him? I did not dare to go near him when he was with my uncle Samuel, and yet he was so kind to me when I was a child."

"Well, I suppose I can't help his staying, for the present, at least," replied the aunt, peevishly, "so you can put the blue chamber in decent order for him, Benjamina. But if you make too much fuss about him, or give me any additional trouble with this new pest, I will send you back to Daniel. You may stay for the present; but keep him as much as possible away from the children and the rest of us. We shall have quite annoyance enough with him at the dinner-table."

"Poor, poor grandfather!" sighed Benjamina, as weeping silently she left her unkind aunt, who had often before spoken harshly to her, but had never wounded her feelings so deeply as now.

Isaac had afterwards an unpleasant matrimonial scene, and a sharp battle of words with his wife, in reference to the old man, to whom be could not deny an asylum in his house, however many scruples he himself had as to keeping him.