Ruth, and never cease from coming after you, my thoughts to you shall
be like those of Ruth;--if aught but death part thee and me, may God
do so to me and more also." Then she fell upon his breast and wept.

He still hardly understood the depth of her character. He was not
himself deep enough to comprehend it all. But yet he was awed by her
great love, and exalted to a certain solemnity of feeling which for
the time made him rejoice in his late decision. For a few hours he
was minded to throw the world behind him, and wear this woman, as
such a woman should be worn,--as a comforter to him in all things,
and a strong shield against great troubles. "Lily," he said, "my own
Lily!"

"Yes, your own, to take when you please, and leave untaken while you
please; and as much your own in one way as in the other." Then she
looked up again, and essayed to laugh as she did so. "You will think
I am frantic, but I am so happy. I don't care about your going now;
indeed I don't. There; you may go now, this minute, if you like it."
And she withdrew her hand from his. "I feel so differently from what
I have done for the last few days. I am so glad you have spoken to me
as you did. Of course I ought to bear all those things with you. But
I cannot be unhappy about it now. I wonder if I went to work and made
a lot of things, whether that would help?"

"A set of shirts for me, for instance?"

"I could do that, at any rate."

"It may come to that yet, some of these days."

"I pray God that it may." Then again she was serious, and the tears
came once more into her eyes. "I pray God that it may. To be of use
to you,--to work for you,--to do something for you that may have in
it some sober, earnest purport of usefulness,--that is what I want
above all things. I want to be with you at once that I may be of
service to you. Would that you and I were alone together, that I
might do everything for you. I sometimes think that a very poor man's
wife is the happiest, because she does do everything."

"You shall do everything very soon," said he; and then they sauntered
along pleasantly through the morning hours, and when they again
appeared at Mrs Dale's table, Mrs Dale and Bell were astonished at
Lily's brightness. All her old ways had seemed to return to her, and
she made her little saucy speeches to Mr Crosbie as she had used to
do when he was first becoming fascinated by her sweetness. "You know
that you'll be such a swell when you get to th