e him in character, as the sun is above the
earth. You think little of John Crumb because he does not wear a fine
coat.'

'I don't care about any man's coat,' said Ruby; 'but John hasn't ever
a word to say, was it ever so.'

'Words to say! what do words matter? He loves you. He loves you after
that fashion that he wants to make you happy and respectable, not to
make you a bye-word and a disgrace.' Ruby struggled hard to make some
opposition to the suggestion, but found herself to be incapable of
speech at the moment. 'He thinks more of you than of himself, and
would give you all that he has. What would that other man give you? If
you were once married to John Crumb, would any one then pull you by
the hairs of your head? Would there be any want then, or any
disgrace?'

'There ain't no disgrace, Mr Carbury.'

'No disgrace in going about at midnight with such a one as Felix
Carbury? You are not a fool, and you know that it is disgraceful. If
you are not unfit to be an honest man's wife, go back and beg that
man's pardon.'

'John Crumb's pardon! No!'

'Oh, Ruby, if you knew how highly I respect that man, and how lowly I
think of the other; how I look on the one as a noble fellow, and
regard the other as dust beneath my feet, you would perhaps change
your mind a little.'

Her mind was being changed. His words did have their effect, though
the poor girl struggled against the conviction that was borne in upon
her. She had never expected to hear any one call John Crumb noble. But
she had never respected any one more highly than Squire Carbury, and
he said that John Crumb was noble. Amidst all her misery and trouble
she still told herself that it was but a dusty, mealy,--and also a
dumb nobility.

'I'll tell you what will take place,' continued Roger. 'Mr Crumb won't
put up with this you know.'

'He can't do nothing to me, sir.'

'That's true enough. Unless it be to take you in his arms and press
you to his heart, he wants to do nothing to you. Do you think he'd
injure you if he could? You don't know what a man's love really means,
Ruby. But he could do something to somebody else. How do you think it
would be with Felix Carbury, if they two were in a room together and
nobody else by?'

'John's mortial strong, Mr Carbury.'

'If two men have equal pluck, strength isn't much needed. One is a
brave man, and the other--a coward. Which do you think is which?'

'He's your own cousin, and I don't know why you should s