f it were possible.
Yours, if you will let me, affectionately, REBECCA.

I see when I look at them that the shoes will be too big.

She stood for a while apart from Ruth, with the open note in her hand,
thinking whether or no she would accept the gifts which had been sent.
The words which Rebecca had written had softened her heart, especially
those in which the Jewess had spoken openly to her of her poverty. "At
the present moment you are poor as to money," the girl had said, and
had said it as though such poverty were, after all, but a small thing
in their relative positions one to another. That Nina should be loved,
and Rebecca not loved, was a much greater thing. For her father's sake
she would take the things sent--and for Rebecca's sake. She would take
even the shoes, which she wanted so sorely. She remembered well, as she
read the last word, how, when Rebecca had been with her, she herself
had pointed to the poor broken slippers which she wore, not meaning to
excite such compassion as had now been shown. Yes, she would accept it
all--as one woman should take such things from another.

"You will not make Shadrach carry them back?" said Ruth, imploring her.

"But he--has he sent nothing?--not a word?" She would have thought
herself to be utterly incapable, before Ruth had come, of showing so
much weakness; but her reserve gave way as she admitted in her own
heart the kindness of Rebecca, and she became conquered and humbled.
She was so terribly in want of his love at this moment! "And has he
sent no word of a message to me?"

"I did not tell him that I was coming."

"But he knows--he knows that father is so ill."

"Yes; I suppose he has heard that, because Souchey came to the house.
But he has been out of temper with us all, and unhappy, for some days
past. I know that he is unhappy when he is so harsh with us."

"And what has made him unhappy?

"Nay, I cannot tell you that. I thought perhaps it was because you did
not come to him. You used to come and see us at our house."

Dear Ruth! Dearest Ruth, for saying such dear words! She had done more
than Rebecca by the sweetness of the suggestion. If it were really the
case that he were unhappy because they had parted from each other in
anger, no further forgiveness would be necessary.

"But how can I come, Ruth?" she said. "It is he that should come to
me."

"You used to come."

"Ah, yes. I came first with messages from father, and t