dulging a false hope, or deceiving
himself altogether; but he thinks it possible that you might--might
become fond of him. There, Margaret, that's the long and the short
of it. And when I told him that he had better say that himself, he
declared that you would not bring yourself to listen to him while I
am lying here dying."

"Of course I would not."

"But, look here, Margaret; I know you would do much to comfort me in
my last moments."

"Indeed, I would, Tom."

"I wouldn't ask you to marry a man you didn't like,--not even if it
were to do the children a service; but if that can be got over, the
other feeling should not restrain you when it would be the greatest
possible comfort to me."

"But how could it serve you, Tom?"

"If that could be arranged, Rubb would give up to Sarah during his
father's life all the proceeds of the business, after paying the
old man. And when he dies, and he is very old now, the five hundred
a-year would be continued to her. Think what that would be,
Margaret."

"But, Tom, she shall have what will make her comfortable without
waiting for any old man's death. It shall be quite half of my income.
If that is not enough it shall be more. Will not that do for her?"

Then her brother strove to explain as best he could that the mere
money was not all he wanted. If his sister did not like this man, if
she had no wish to become a married woman, of course, he said, the
plan must fall to the ground. But if there was anything in Mr Rubb's
belief that she was not altogether indifferent to him, if such an
arrangement could be made palatable to her, then he would be able to
think that he, by the work of his life, had left something behind him
to his wife and family.

"And Sarah would be more comfortable," he pleaded. "Of course, she
is grateful to you, as I am, and as we all are. But given bread is
bitter bread, and if she could think it came to her, of her own
right--"

He said ever so much more, but that ever so much more was quite
unnecessary. His sister understood the whole matter. It was desirable
that she, by her fortune, should enable the widow and orphans of
her brother to live in comfort; but it was not desirable that this
dependence on her should be plainly recognised. She did not, however,
feel herself to be angry or hurt. It would, no doubt, be better
for the family that they should draw their income in an apparently
independent way from their late father's business than that they