John, an hour ago! And here's the bride! And Gruff and Tackleton
may die a bachelor! And I'm a happy little woman, May, God bless you!"

Little woman, how she sobbed! John Perrybingle would have caught her in
his arms. But no; she wouldn't let him.

"Don't love me yet, please, John! Not for a long time yet! No--keep
there, please, John! When I laugh at you, as I sometimes do, John, and
call you clumsy, and a dear old goose, and names of that sort, it's
because I love you, John, so well. And when I speak of people being
middle-aged and steady, John, and pretend that we are a humdrum couple,
going on in a jog-trot sort of way, it's only because I'm such a silly
little thing, John, that I like, sometimes, to act a kind of play with
Baby, and all that, and make believe."

She saw that he was coming, and stopped him again. But she was very
nearly too late.

"No, don't love me for another minute or two, if you please, John! When
I first came home here I was half afraid I mighn't learn to love you
every bit as well as I hoped and prayed I might--being so very young,
John. But, dear John, every day and hour I love you more and more. And
if I could have loved you better than I do, the noble words I heard you
say this morning would have made me. But I can't. All the affection that
I had (it was a great deal, John) I gave you, as you well deserve, long,
long ago, and I have no more left to give. Now, my dear husband, take
me to your heart again! That's my home, John; and never, never think of
sending me to any other."

Richard Stopped and picking up a glass from the table moistened his
lips. The silence continued. Down more than one face the tears were
trickling, as they have trickled down millions of faces since. Kate had
crept imperceptibly nearer until her hands could have touched Richard's
knees. When Willits bent over her with a whispered comment a slight
shiver ran through her, but she neither answered nor turned her head. It
was only when Richard's voice finally ceased with the loud chirp of the
cricket at the close of the beloved story, and St. George had helped her
to her feet, that she seemed to awake to a sense of where she was. Even
then she looked about her in a dazed way, as if she feared some one had
been probing her heart--hanging back till the others had showered their
congratulations on the reader. Then leaning forward she placed her hands
in Richard's as if to steady herself, and with a sigh that seemed to