king I had more
claims to her love than he. What had he done for her? Nothing! I, on
the other hand, had twice risked my life for hers. But for me she
would have died, and yet she had bestowed her love on another. Had
she? I was not sure, and yet there could be little or no doubt about
it. Wilfred was capable of winning any woman's affection, and I felt
certain she would not resist his wishes. The very first day of his
return they had gone away together, and no doubt he would impress her
with his cleverness and greatness.

I would know the truth and that soon. Such was my determination. I
would ask her to walk alone with me as she had done with Wilfred, and
then I would find out.

I cannot describe my new found love, or, rather, the knowledge of the
love I had felt for years. It was so strange, so great. I had from
the first taken a special interest in Ruth; from the first I had
regarded her as a very dear sister. Now she was a thousand times more
than a sister. Nothing was too good for her. My one great thought was
to give Ruth happiness and joy. Why, then, did I not without a murmur
sacrifice her to Wilfred. Surely he could give her more happiness and
joy than I? Strange as it may seem, I felt that he could not. I
shuddered at the thought of her belonging to him in any way, and I
ground my teeth at the thought of their being together.

Perhaps this was because of my jealousy. Nevertheless, I am sure that
rough, uncouth, ay, half savage as I was, I would willingly have laid
down my life to save her from pain.

I had no chance to speak to her that day, nor the next, nor indeed for
many days. When my chance came, something stepped in between us.
Either Wilfred was with Ruth, or my mother claimed the girl as her
companion. I need not say that this maddened me more than ever and
made me act in anything but a creditable way. I would leave the merry
family party and go down to the village to talk with the fishermen. I
would seek to forget my own sorrows by laughing at their jokes, or
entering into their lives. Again, I would indulge in long, lonely
walks, or go away fishing alone. I knew I was fighting against my own
interests by doing this. I knew I was allowing my brother to use every
fascinating art in his power.

At length, my time came. We had all been out in the harvest fields
together, watching the reapers cut the golden wheat and gather it into
sheaves.

Surely the earth has few fa