ice, my oldest daughter, and I hope before long to find something
for the others."

Mr. Congreve opened his lips to speak, but was amazed beyond all
comprehension, to find that he had no voice, he tried it again, then
again, then broke abruptly into a hurried walk up and down the room, and
flourished his scarlet handkerchief furiously.

"It was very kind of you to undertake such a long tiresome journey for
our sakes, Mr. Congreve," said Mrs. Dering, beginning to feel a strange
sympathy for the old gentleman who could not hide how deeply he was
moved.

"Not half what I ought to do," sputtered the inconsistent old man. "I
always want to help where I see it is so worthy. I am proud indeed, to
see,--where's my snuff-box--that Robert's wife and daughters are so
worthy of him; I--I--will you allow me to settle four thousand per annum
on you and your children?"

"Oh, no; thank you so gratefully; but I could not, so long as we are
well; we can work and live quite comfortably, but if I am ever in
trouble, if sickness drains our savings low, I will come to you gladly,
and Robert will be so pleased."

It was no use to try and hide a sniff, so Mr. Congreve made a savage
thrust at his eyes and wiped them both, blew his nose long and
earnestly, coughed several times without any apparent necessity, and
then subsided into a chair.

"I suppose you are right, Elizabeth Dering, and I like you better for
it, though,--God bless my soul!--to think of you and the little girls
working for bread and butter, while I count my hundreds of thousands and
lay up in ease and laziness. Why, it makes me feel as I never supposed I
could feel over any sorrow or privation that might come to Daniel
Lathrop's daughter. But you're not like your father, no, you're not, and
I'm glad of it, and if I had it to do over again, I would not banish
Robert for marrying you."

If Mrs. Dering felt any resentment at the thrust against her father, she
gave no evidence of it, but only thought with a quiet joy, mingled with
a little longing, "If Robert was only here to hear him say it."

"I want to make another offer to you," said Mr. Congreve, tapping his
stick lightly on the floor, and keeping his eyes averted, "and before I
make it, I want to ask that you do not decide too quick. Take all the
time you want, and whatever your decision will be, it will affect my
happiness quite as much as it does yours."

He stopped there, and looked at her closely, as though con