dy Balfour's carriage," so saith she. Then, th' lad
having stuffed all 's doublet with th' gold, she sets him on 's feet,
and off a scuttles on th' best-paid errand e'er chanced since th' world
began. And my lass, having courtesied to the thunder-stricken dame, gets
her outside (where I go nigh to smothering her with kisses), and leaves
her ladyship in possession o' th' kitchen.

Well, comrade, right sure am I that thou dost think that was the end on
't. Not a bit. Sir Dagonet did himself come to th' cottage th' very next
day to see th' lass, and they had many words together, and at last he
did accuse her o' false pride and proud humility. And saith he,

"Wouldst thou make misery for the man who loves thee best of all the
world, merely to satisfy a notion o' thine own? Greatness and goodness,"
saith he, "dwell in the heads and hearts o' mankind, not in their birth
or purses. I do ask thee, with all respect, to be my wife, and I am
prepared to face th' anger o' my mother and o' th' Queen. Ay," saith he,
his face gone red as a girl's, and comes nigh to her--"ay, maiden,"
saith he, "I am even ready to seek th' new country with thee as my wife,
and to leave title and lands and Queen and mother behind me."

Then saith she--and I had not seen tears in her eyes for many a day--

"My lord," saith she, "well and nobly hast thou spoken, and with all my
soul do I honor thee for it, and I thank thee with all my heart and
soul. But, my lord, even were there not thy rank and position atween
us, there is atween us," saith she, "which would hold us as far apart as
the sea doth hold this England which we live in and th' new country o'
which thou didst speak. For," saith she--and she speaks in a steady
voice, howbeit 'tis very low, and she keeps her sun-like eyes on
his--"for, my lord," saith she, "all the love that was mine to give hath
been another man's these many years."

Then saith he never another word, but bends his knee and kisses her long
brown hand as though 't had been th' Queen's; and he gets him from th'
cottage.

Now, two more years were sped since that Ruth had left us, and sometimes
would we hear through friends o' th' little lad and 's mother and
father, and always was Ruth a-sending of pretty messages to Keren--her
love, and her thanks, and how happy she was, and th' boy so like his
father--and more than I remember.

A full year had th' lass been at work in my shop, and my arm no more
fit to hammer than afore. So