r looks and your ways, and I feel that you are worthy of being
promoted to the high honor I am about to heap onto you, by askin' you
to be my wife."

I heard a little low, skairt ejaculation and a chair pushed back.

"Your wife! oh no, no, you are mistaken!"

Then his voice in soothin' axents, "There, set down agin, set down. I
knew you'd take it so. I knew it would overcome you, but I say you are
worthy on't, and you needn't never be afraid I'll throw it in your
face that I am rich and you--and you----"

Then I hearn a swish of a dress float along, quick steps acrost the
piazza, a door shet, and anon Mr. Pomper come back to me.

"Jest as I told you, mom, stunted," sez he, "fairly stunted and broke
down by the suddenness of the good news. I'll give her time to git
used to the idee. I won't say no more at present."

"No," sez I dryly, "I wouldn't if I wuz in your place, I'd go and rub
some ile into my head or sweat it, or sunthin'."

"What for?" sez he in surprise, "why should I bathe my head, or
annoint it?"

"Oh nothin'," sez I, "if you don't think it needs softenin' up and
illuminatin'."

Well, I went up to my room and in a few minutes Faith come in, and she
went right by me and looked in the glass. She wuz pale and seemed to
be kinder tremblin'. She studied her face intently in the lookin'
glass, then sez she, "What is there in my face, what have I done?"
sez she, "How have I looked, that that awful man dare insult me? Oh, I
must have looked weak or acted weak, or he wouldn't have dared to!"
and she busted out cryin'.

And I sez soothin'ly, "It hain't the worst thing that could happen to
you. A offer of marriage hain't like a attack of yeller fever, or
cholera, or even the janders, nor," sez I, "it hain't like losin'
friends, or a plague of grasshoppers, or----"

And I spoze there hain't no tellin' onto what hites of eloquence I
might have riz to cheer her up. But all of a sudden she bust out
a-laughin' with the tears standin' in her big eyes and runnin' down
her cheeks.

"There," sez I, "you see I'm right, don't you?"

"Oh you dear, delicious Samantha!" sez she, and she throwed her arms
round me and kissed me. I kissed her back and then I went on brushin'
my hair for the night. I hadn't nothin' on but my skirts and dressin'
sack, but I didn't mind her. And she went and sot down by the winder
and looked off into the west. Fur off the blue hazy distance lay like
another country. The moonlight lay on t