must speak out for her. I believe he's a very good
young man, with nothing bad about him at all, and he is welcome to
come here whenever he pleases. And as for Rachel, I believe she knows
how to mind herself as well as you did when you were her age; only
poor Mr. Prime was come and gone at that time. And as for his not
intending, he came out here just because he did intend, and only to
ask my permission. I didn't at first tell him he might because Rachel
was over at the farm getting the cream, and I thought she ought to be
consulted first; and if that's not straightforward and proper, I'm
sure I don't know what is; and he having a business of his own, too,
and able to maintain a wife to-morrow! And if a young man isn't to
be allowed to ask leave to see a young woman when he thinks he likes
her, I for one don't know how young people are to get married at
all." Then Mrs. Ray sat down, put her apron up to her eyes, and had a
great cry.

It was a most eloquent speech, and I cannot say which of her
daughters was the most surprised by it. As to Rachel, it must be
remembered that very much was communicated to her of which she had
hitherto known nothing. Very much indeed, we may say, so much that
it was of a nature to alter the whole tone and tenor of her life.
This young man of whom she had thought so much, and of whom she had
been so much in dread,--fearing that her many thoughts of him were
becoming dangerous,--this young man who had interested her so warmly,
had come out to Bragg's End simply to get her mother's leave to pay
his court to her. And he had done this without saying a word to
herself! There was something in this infinitely sweeter to her than
would have been any number of pretty speeches from himself. She had
hitherto been angry with him, though liking him well; she had been
angry with though almost loving him. She had not known why it was so,
but the cause had been this,--that he had seemed in their intercourse
together, to have been deficient in that respect which she had a
right to claim. But now all that sin was washed away by such a deed
as this. As the meaning of her mother's words sank into her heart,
and as she came to understand her mother's declaration that Luke
Rowan should be welcome to the cottage as her lover, her eyes became
full of tears, and the spirit of her animosity against her sister was
quenched by the waters of her happiness.

And Mrs. Prime was almost equally surprised, but was by no me