Kate finished, or pretended to finish, her dinner within five minutes, in order that the table might be made to look comfortable for him. Then she poked the fire, and brushed up the hearth, and closed the old curtains with her own hands, moving about silently. As she moved his eye followed her, and when she came behind his chair, and pushed the decanter a little more within his reach, he put out his rough, hairy hand, and laid it upon one of hers which she had rested on the table, with a tenderness that was unusual with him. "You are a good girl, Kate. I wish you had been a boy, that's all."
"If I had, I shouldn't, perhaps, have been here to take care of you," she said, smiling.
"No; you'd have been like your brother, no doubt. Not that I think there could have been two so bad as he is."
"Oh, grandfather, if he has offended you, you should try to forgive him."

Kate quickly finished her dinner. Then she poked the fire, and brushed up the hearth, and closed the old curtains, moving about silently. When she came past his chair, he put out his rough hand, and laid it upon one of hers with a tenderness that was unusual for him.
"You are a good girl, Kate. I wish you had been a boy, that's all."
"If I had, I shouldn't have been here to take care of you," she said, smiling.
"No; you'd have been like your brother, no doubt. Though there could not have been two so bad as he is."
"Oh, grandfather, if he has offended you, you should try to forgive him."
