terribly standoffish
when she did come. We made it up, however, long before the wedding--thanks
to Bob himself; for he bore no malice and confessed to me in strict
privacy after all was over that it had been a difficult and dangerous
business, and that the Chitral Campaign was a fool to it.

"The thing is to strike the right note in these matters," he said. "And it
weren't till the third time that I struck it with your sister. Afore that
I talked of being her right hand and protector and so on, and I offered to
be a prop to her declining years, and all that. And I knew I'd failed
almost before the words were spoken. But the third time I just went for
her all ends up, as if we was boy and girl, and told her that I loved her,
and wanted her for herself, and wouldn't take 'No' for an answer. Why--God
forgive me--I even said I'd throw myself in the river if she refused
again! But there it was: she yielded, and I kissed her, and she very near
fainted with excitement. And I want you to understand this, Rupert Blake:
I'm not after her stuff, nor her farm, nor nothing that's worth a penny to
any man. Her will must be made again, but everything goes back to you and
yours. I only ask to stop along with her till I'm called: for I'm alone in
the world and shouldn't like to be thrust out. And if Mary goes first,
then I ordain that you let me bide to my dying day in comfort out of
respect to her memory. And that's all I ask or want."

I didn't see how the man could say fairer than that, and more did my wife.
And it all went very suent I'm sure. They was wedded, and spent eight
fairly happy years together, and Bob knew his place till Mary's dying day.
He didn't kill himself with work after he'd got her; and he wasn't at
church as regular as of old; but he pleasured her very willing most times,
and was always kind and considerate and attentive; and if ever they had a
word, only them and their Maker knew about it.

She loved him, and she loved the ring he put on her finger, and she loved
signing herself "Mary Battle"--never tired of that. And then she died, and
he bided on till he was a very old, ancient man, with my son to help him.
And then he died too, and was buried along with his wife. He was always
self-contained and self-respecting. He took his luck for granted and never
made no fuss about it; and such was his character that no man ever envied
him his good fortune. In fact, I do believe that everybody quite agreed
with his own o