, and his faults found him out;
which they don't always do. But he's the sort that takes years and years
to ripen. He's not yet at his best you'll find; but he's a learner, and
he may learn a great many useful things if he goes into Parliament--if
it's only what to avoid."

"There's one thing that will do him a darned sight more good than going
into Parliament, and that's getting married," said Sarah. "In fact, a
few of us, that can see further through a milestone than some people,
believe it's in sight."

"Miss Waldron, of course?" asked Nelly.

"Yes--her. And when that happens, she'll make of Mister Ironsyde a much
more understanding man than going into Parliament will. He's fair and
just--not one of us, bar Levi Baggs, ever said he wasn't that--but she's
more--she's just our lady, and our good is her good, and what she's done
for us would fill a book; and if she could work on him to look at us
through her eyes, then none of us, that deserved it, as we all do, would
lose our good word."

"What do you say to that, Job?" asked Mrs. Legg.

"I say nothing better could happen," he answered. "But don't feel too
hopeful. The things that promise best to the human eye ain't the things
that Providence very often performs. To speak in a religious spirit and
without feeling, there's no doubt that Providence does take a delight in
turning down the obvious things and bringing us up against the doubtful
and difficult and unexpected ones. That's why there's such a gulf
between story books and real life. The story books that I used to read
in my youth, always turned out just as a man of good will and good heart
and kindly spirit would wish them to do; but you'd be straining civility
to Providence and telling a lie if you pretended real life does.
Therefore I say, hope it may happen; but don't bet on it."

Job finished his tea and bustled away.

"The wisdom of the man!" said Nicholas. "He's the most comforting person
I know, because he don't pretend. There's some think that everything
that happens to us is our own fault, and they drive you silly with their
bleating. Job knows it ain't so."

"A far-seeing man," admitted Nelly, "and a great reader of the signs of
the times. People used to think he was a simple sort--God forgive me, I
did myself; but I know better now. All through that business with poor
Richard Gurd, Job understood our characters and bided his time and knew
that the crash must come between us. He's told me since