Peckover consent. I can't speak any
more--I know I'm wrong to burst out in this way; and I beg all your
pardons for it, I do indeed! Speak to her, doctor--pray speak to her
directly, if you don't want to make me miserable for the rest of my
life!"

With those words, Valentine darted precipitately into the garden, and
made straight for the spot where the little girls were still sitting
together in their shady resting-place among the trees.

CHAPTER VI. MADONNA GOES TO LONDON.

The clown's wife had sat very pale and very quiet under the whole
overwhelming torrent of Mr. Blyth's apostrophes, exclamations, and
entreaties. She seemed quite unable to speak, after he was fairly gone;
and only looked round in a bewildered manner at the rector, with fear as
well as amazement expressed vividly in her hearty, healthy face.

"Pray compose yourself, Mrs. Peckover," said Doctor Joyce; "and kindly
give me your best attention to what I am about to say. Let me beg you,
in the first place, to excuse Mr. Blyth's odd behavior, which I see has
startled and astonished you. But, however wildly he may talk, I assure
you he means honorably and truthfully in all that he says. You will
understand this better if you will let me temperately explain to you the
proposal, which he has just made so abruptly and confusedly in his own
words."

"Proposal, sir!" exclaimed Mrs. Peckover faintly, looking more
frightened than ever--"Proposal! Oh, sir! you don't mean to say that
you're going to ask me to part from little Mary?"

"I will ask you to do nothing that your own good sense and kind heart
may not approve," answered the rector. "In plain terms then, and not to
waste time by useless words of preface, my friend, Mr. Blyth, feels such
admiration for your little Mary, and such a desire to help her, as far
as may be, in her great misfortune, that he is willing and eager to make
her future prospects in life his own peculiar care, by adopting her as
his daughter. This offer, though coming, as I am aware, from a perfect
stranger, can hardly astonish you, I think, if you reflect on the
unusually strong claims which the child has to the compassion and
kindness of all her fellow-creatures. Other strangers, as you have told
us, have shown the deepest interest in her on many occasions. It is not
therefore at all wonderful that a gentleman, whose Christian integrity
of motive I have had opportunities of testing during a friendship of
nearly twenty years