d a singular child, and you deserve
to be trusted. I mean to become a rich man's wife if I have the
opportunity; but how it is to be brought about, your good book, perhaps,
may tell."

"Oh, darling," I cried, "do not smile so scornfully when you speak of
that blessed, dear book; it would comfort and lead you, indeed it
would, if you would but open and read its pages."

"Well, well, Parson Ruth," she cried, laughing, "that will do. When the
rich man comes down from the clouds to make me his bride, I promise you
I'll have a book bound in gold like that; and you shall be educated, my
darling Ruth, as the daughters of the De Courcys ought to be, and you
shall forget that we have no father, no mother."

"Forget our father?" said I. "Never, never!"

Gabrielle was terribly shaken and agitated: little more than a child in
years, injustice and sorrow had taught her the emotions of age, yet she
was a guileless child in the world's ways, as events soon proved.

We used to ramble out into the adjacent meadows, and doubtless our
roamings would have extended far and wide, had not my lameness precluded
much walking, and Gabrielle never had a thought of leaving me. So we
were contented to saunter by a shining stream that meandered amid the
rich pasture-land near our home; this stream was frequented by those
fortunate anglers only who obtained permission from the lady of the
manor to fish in it, and this permit was not lavishly bestowed,
consequently our favorite haunt was usually a solitary one. But soon
after Gabrielle had completed her sixteenth year we noted a sickly
youth, who patiently pursued his quiet sport by the hour together, and
never looked round as we passed and repassed him. Some trifling "chance"
(as it is called) led to his thanking Gabrielle for assisting to
disentangle his line, which had caught amid the willow-branches
overhanging the water; the same "chance" caused him to observe his
beautiful assistant, and I saw his start of surprise and admiration. He
was a silly-looking lad, we thought, dressed like a gentleman, and
behaving as one; and he was never absent now from the meadows when we
were there. He always bowed, and often addressed some passing
observation to us, but timidly and respectfully, for Gabrielle was a
girl to command both homage and respect. She pitied the lonely, pale
young man, who seemed so pleased to find any one to speak to, and
exhibited such extraordinary patience and perseverance, for he