'It's been my strong desire that we might
come together again, and I've done the best I could to find you.
But, as you said, we've been parted for a very long time, and it
isn't in a day that we can come to understand each other. These
seventeen years have made an old man of me, Jo; I think and speak
and act slowly:--better for us all if I had learned to do so long
ago! Your coming was unexpected; I shall need a little time to get
used to the change it makes.'
'To be sure; that's true enough. Plenty of time to talk over things.
As far as I'm concerned, father, the less said about bygones the
better; it's the future that I care about now. I want to put things
right between us--as they ought to be between father and son. You
understand me, I hope?'
Michael nodded, keeping his eyes upon the ground. Again there was a
silence, then Joseph said that if Jane would come in and speak a few
words--so as to make things home-like--it would be time for him
to take his leave for the present. At her grandfather's summons Jane
entered the room. She was still oppressed by the strangeness of her
position, and with difficulty took part in the colloquy.
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