sure! I had
forgotten; how very stupid of me!"

For by this time I had taken one sweet hand and gazed on it, with the
pride of all the world to think that such a lovely thing was mine; and
then I slipped my little ring upon the wedding finger; and this time
Lorna kept it, and looked with fondness on its beauty, and clung to me
with a flood of tears.

"Every time you cry," said I, drawing her closer to me "I shall consider
it an invitation not to be too distant. There now, none shall make you
weep. Darling, you shall sigh no more, but live in peace and happiness,
with me to guard and cherish you: and who shall dare to vex you?" But
she drew a long sad sigh, and looked at the ground with the great tears
rolling, and pressed one hand upon the trouble of her pure young breast.

"It can never, never be," she murmured to herself alone: "Who am I, to
dream of it? Something in my heart tells me it can be so never, never."

CHAPTER XXXIV

TWO NEGATIVES MAKE AN AFFIRMATIVE

[Illustration: 286.jpg Illustrated Capital]

There was, however, no possibility of depressing me at such a time. To
be loved by Lorna, the sweet, the pure, the playful one, the fairest
creature on God's earth and the most enchanting, the lady of high birth
and mind; that I, a mere clumsy, blundering yeoman, without wit, or
wealth, or lineage, should have won that loving heart to be my own for
ever, was a thought no fears could lessen, and no chance could steal
from me.

Therefore at her own entreaty taking a very quick adieu, and by her own
invitation an exceeding kind one, I hurried home with deep exulting, yet
some sad misgivings, for Lorna had made me promise now to tell my mother
everything; as indeed I always meant to do, when my suit should be gone
too far to stop. I knew, of course, that my dear mother would be greatly
moved and vexed, the heirship of Glen Doone not being a very desirable
dower, but in spite of that, and all disappointment as to little Ruth
Huckaback, feeling my mother's tenderness and deep affection to me, and
forgiving nature, I doubted not that before very long she would view the
matter as I did. Moreover, I felt that if once I could get her only to
look at Lorna, she would so love and glory in her, that I should obtain
all praise and thanks, perchance without deserving them.

Unluckily for my designs, who should be sitting down at breakfast with
my mother and the rest but Squire Faggus, as everybody now began to
ent