lifting her serene eyes to his face. "You don't want to
make us unhappy, do you? This is your home, as long as it is ours,
remember! We would not have you leave us on any account, would we,
Angus?"

"Indeed no!" answered Reay, heartily. "David, what are you talking
about? Aren't _you_ the cause of my knowing Mary? Didn't _you_ bring me
to this dear little cottage first of all? Don't I owe all my happiness
to _you_? And you talk about going away! It's pretty evident you don't
know what's good for you! Look here! If I'm good for anything at all,
I'm good for hard work--and for that matter I may as well go in for the
basket-making trade as well as the book-making profession. We've got
Mary to work for, David!--and we'll both work for her--together!"

Helmsley turned upon him a face in which the expression was difficult to
define.

"You really mean that?" he said.

"Really mean it! Of course I do! Why shouldn't I mean it?"

There was a moment's silence, and Helmsley, looking down on Mary as she
knelt beside him, laid his hand caressingly on her hair.

"I think," he said gently, "that you are both too kind-hearted and
impulsive, and that you are undertaking a task which should not be
imposed upon you. You offer me a continued home with you after your
marriage--but who am I that I should accept such generosity from you? I
am not getting younger. Every day robs me of some strength--and my
work--such work as I can do--will be of very little use to you. I may
suffer from illness, which will cause you trouble and expense,--death is
closer to me than life--and why should I die on your hands? It can only
mean trouble for you if I stay on,--and though I am grateful to you with
all my heart--more grateful than I can say"--and his voice trembled--"I
know I ought to be unselfish,--and that the truest and best way to thank
you for all you have done for me is to go away and leave you in peace
and happiness----"

"We should not be happy without you, David!" declared Mary. "Can't you,
won't you understand that we are both fond of you?"

"Fond of me!" And he smiled. "Fond of a useless old wreck who can
scarcely earn a day's wage!"

"That's rather wide of the mark, David!" said Reay. "Mary's not the
woman--and I'm sure I'm not the man--to care for any one on account of
the money he can make. We like you for yourself,--so don't spoil this
happiest day of our lives by suggesting any separation between us. Do
you hear?"

"I hear!"