in the morning I should take it
kindly." This Mrs. Ray promised to do, and then Mrs. Prime walked
back to Baslehurst.

Rachel, when her sister was gone, felt that there was much to be said
between her and her mother. Mrs. Ray herself was so inconsequent in
her mental workings, so shandy-pated if I may say so, that it did not
occur to her that an entirely new view of Luke Rowan's purposes had
been exposed to Rachel during this visit of Mrs. Prime's, or that
anything had been said, which made a further explanation necessary.
She had, as it were, authorized Rachel to regard Rowan as her lover,
and yet was not aware that she had done so. But Rachel had remembered
every word. She had resolved that she would permit herself to form
no special intimacy with Luke Rowan without her mother's leave; but
she was also beginning to resolve that with her mother's leave, such
intimacy would be very pleasant. Of this she was quite sure within
her own heart,--that it should not be abandoned at her sister's
instigation.

"Mamma," she said, "I did not know that he had spoken to you in that
way."

"In what way, Rachel?" Mrs. Ray's voice was not quite pleasant. Now
that Mrs. Prime was gone, she would have been glad to have had the
dangerous subject abandoned for a while.

"That he had asked you to let him come here, and that he had said
that about me."

"He did then,--while you were away at Mrs. Sturt's."

"And what answer did you give him?"

"I didn't give him any answer. You came back, and I'm sure I was very
glad that you did, for I shouldn't have known what to say to him."

"But what was it that he did say, mamma?--that is, if you don't think
it wrong to tell me."

"I hardly know; but I don't suppose it can be wrong, for no young man
could have spoken nicer; and it made me happy to hear him,--so it
did, for the moment."

"Oh, mamma, do tell me!" and Rachel kneeled down before her.

"Well;--he said you were the nicest girl he had ever seen."

"Did he, mamma?" And the girl clung closer to her mother as she heard
the pleasant words.

"But I oughtn't to tell you such nonsense as that; and then he said
that he wanted to come out here and see you, and--and--and--; it is
simply this, that he meant to ask you to be his sweetheart, if I
would let him."

"And what did you say, mamma?"

"I couldn't say anything because you came back."

"But you told Dolly that you would be glad to see him whenever he
might choose to come here.