His voice was very gentle, as soothing as one coaxing a child, comforting Amanda Smith.
Amanda Smith rubbed her forehead against the old man's shoulder, then cast her eyes downward and said softly, "I know all this... But..."
But what?
They both knew.
The old man sighed lightly, "Silly child."
Unrequited love is often mistaken for indifference. Even though the man was his own grandson, he didn't want Amanda Smith to be entangled in such hopeless affection. But not everything in this world turned out as one would wish, just as he wished that Samuel Johnson could grow fond of Amanda Smith. If it couldn't be done, it simply couldn't be done.
Amanda Smith continued to chat with Mr. Johnson in the hall for a while. The cook brought up the medicinal meal, and she ate with Mr. Johnson. As the sky slowly darkened, she helped Mr. Johnson to his bedroom to rest before returning to the main house alone.
