or to go out again to your colony, you will
find me waiting for you as your earthly reward.'"

"Of course you will come back," she exclaimed vehemently, thrown off her
guard; "but _you_ had much better wait and look out for some more
gracious person to welcome you."

"I don't care for gracious persons," said the foolish fellow scornfully;
"that is, for persons who are always gracious whether they like or
dislike their company. But I say," he went on, in an eager boyish way,
which was not unbecoming or inharmonious where his young manhood was
concerned, only natural and pleasant, "I should care for the best and
brightest and bonniest woman in the world being gracious to me; I would
give much to make her like me, though I know I am far behind her in
cleverness and goodness."

"Nonsense," cried Annie, quite testily. "I shall be used up in hospital
service by that time," she remonstrated, keeping to the far future. "A
faded woman with a sharp tongue would not be a great reward."

"I ask nothing better than a woman whom I could love, and who might love
me."

"But you deserve something better," she said, in a softer, lower tone.

"Never mind what I deserve, if I get what I have wished, longed, and
prayed for since the first moment I saw you--think of that, Annie."

"I can't," she said, almost piteously, while she suffered him to take
her hand. "I meant it all to be so different. I was so proud of my
independence; and I never, never will forfeit it, remember, Harry
Ironside, till all my sisters are started in the world, and father and
mother are made more comfortable. Oh! it would be doubly a shame in me
to fail them."

"I am content to wait for my prize," he said, daring to kiss her lovely
cheek, and he was content--for the moment.

"And you must not breathe a word of what has happened," she charged him.

But here he grew restive. "I must, dearest. Why, it would be doubly
dishonourable not to speak at once to Dr. Millar, confined as he is to
his chair; you cannot fail to see that."

"They will all laugh at me," sighed the subdued Annie, with comical
ruefulness. "Rose will laugh, and May. I believe even Dora and mother
will laugh."

"Let them." He gave the permission with cheerful insensibility to the
ordeal, even though Annie's feelings were so much involved in it. "It
may be a warning to some of them." Then he was so callous as to add,
"Who cares though the whole world, including Tom Robinson, were to join
in