e to make thee a good wife. But I have never
promised to love thee as a wife should love her husband. Thou must
not expect that of me, Jacob."

She lifted her eyes to his with a look that sent a quick thrill
through him. He put out one of his hands and took hers, saying in
very gentle tone, though his gestures were slightly uncouth:

"I will only strive might and main to win thy love, sweetheart.
Methinks if thy heart were once free again thou mightest learn the
lesson."

She shook her head and answered very low:

"Thou couldst learn to love again, good Jacob; but I--never. I
would that thou couldst look around thee, and find a good and
useful wife whom thy mother would welcome; who would love thee
well, and whom thou couldst love without let. There be such--I am
well assured of it. As for me, even though some day thou shouldst
gain my hand, my heart can never be thine."

Jacob looked at her with a wistful, dog-like devotion, and heaved a
heavy sigh. That unselfish and faithful youth was going through a
rather hard probation, such as so often falls upon the best and
warmest hearted of earth's sons, who have been denied those outward
graces that charm the fancy and take the eye. He had long since
divined the secret of the attachment betwixt Cuthbert and Cherry;
and when urged by his father to press his own suit, had been
backward in so doing. On Cuthbert's disappearance he had one day
spoken openly to Cherry of his suspicions, and she had frankly told
him all, begging him to keep their secret, and to hold off his own
suit until Cuthbert's quest should be over, and he could come to
claim her as his own.

Truth to tell, Jacob had little belief in the finding of the lost
treasure; but he did believe in Cuthbert, whom he loved only second
to Cherry, and whom he would any day have set before himself. He
made Cherry a promise that it should be as she desired; that he
would give her time to test Cuthbert's sincerity before he spoke
another word of marriage with her. But he also timidly asked in
return for the sacrifice he was making, and as a reward for his
championship, that if Cuthbert should never return, if harm should
befall him in the forest, or if some other maiden should win his
heart and hand, that then Cherry should become his wife, and let
him try to comfort her by his own devoted and life-long love.

Cherry had given the promise without overmuch persuasion. What good
would life be to her without Cuthbert?