. Only a hint of evil, only an hour's debasement for him,
a moment's glimpse for her of the coarser pleasures men know, and the
innocent heart, just opening to bless and to be blessed, closed again
like a sensitive plant and shut him out perhaps forever.

The consciousness of this turned him pale with fear, for his love was
deeper than she knew, and he proved this when he said in a tone so full
of mingled pain and patience that it touched her to the heart: "You
shall respect me if I can make you, and when I've earned it, may I hope
for something more?"

She looked up then, saw in his face the noble shame, the humble sort
of courage that shows repentance to be genuine and gives promise of
success, and, with a hopeful smile that was a cordial to him, answered
heartily: "You may."

"Bless you for that! I'll make no promises, I'll ask for none only trust
me, Rose, and while you treat me like a cousin, remember that no matter
how many lovers you may have you'll never be to any of them as dear as
you are to me."

A traitorous break in his voice warned Charlie to stop there, and with
no other good-bye, he very wisely went away, leaving Rose to put the
neglected flowers into water with remorseful care and lay away the
bracelet, saying to herself: "I'll never wear it till I feel as I did
before. Then he shall put it on and I'll say 'yes.'"

Chapter 11 SMALL TEMPTATIONS

"Oh, Rose, I've got something so exciting to tell you!" cried Kitty Van
Tassel, skipping into the carriage next morning when her friend called
for her to go shopping.

Kitty always did have some "perfectly thrilling" communication to make
and Rose had learned to take them quietly, but the next demonstration
was a new one, for, regardless alike of curious observers outside and
disordered hats within, Kitty caught Rose around the neck, exclaiming in
a rapturous whisper: "My dearest creature, I'm engaged!"

"I'm so glad! Of course it is Steve?"

"Dear fellow, he did it last night in the nicest way, and Mama is so
delighted. Now what shall I be married in?" And Kitty composed herself
with a face full of the deepest anxiety.

"How can you talk of that so soon? Why, Kit, you unromantic girl, you
ought to be thinking of your lover and not your clothes," said Rose,
amused yet rather scandalized at such want of sentiment.

"I am thinking of my lover, for he says he will not have a long
engagement, so I must begin to think about the most important things