into the whit-leathar age, and would
be sartin' sure to live twenty-five or thirty years longer, till she
would be an old woman herself, and I so frightened her, by telling her
the plain truth in the plainest words, that she shrank from seeing her
old lover any more, and begged me to send him about his business. And I
did, too, 'with a flea in his ear,' as the saying is; for I repeated to
him every word as little Kitty had said to me, as a warning to him for
the futur' not to go tempting any more young girls to marry him for his
money and then wish him dead for the enjoyment of it."

"I hope it did him good."

"Why, Hannah, he went right straight home, and that same day married his
fat, middle-aged housekeeper, who, to tell the solemn truth, he ought to
have married twenty years before! And as for little Kitty, thank Heaven!
she was soon sought as a wife by a handsome young fellow, who was suited
to her in every way, and who really did love her and win her love; and
they were married and went to Californy, as I told you. Well, after I
was left alone, the neighboring small farmers with unprovided daughters,
seeing how comfortable I was fixed, would often say to me--'Gray, you
ought to marry.' 'Gray, why don't you marry?' 'Gray, your nice little
place only needs one thing to make it perfect, a nice little wife.' 'Why
don't you drop in and see the girls some evening, Gray? They would
always be glad to see you.' And all that. I understood it all, Hannah,
my dear; but I didn't want any young girls who would marry me only for a
home. And, besides, the Lord knows I never thought of any woman, young
or old, except yourself, who was my first love and my only one, and
whose whole life was mixed up with my own, as close as ever warp and
woof was woven in your webs, Hannah."

"You have been more faithful to me than I deserved, Reuben; but I will
try to make you happy," said Hannah, with much emotion.

"You do make me happy, dear, without trying. And now where is Ishmael?"
inquired Reuben, who never in his own content forgot the welfare of
others.

Ishmael was walking slowly and thoughtfully at some distance behind
them. Reuben called after him:

"Walk up, my lad. We are going in to dinner now; we dine at noon, you
know."

Ishmael, who had lingered behind from the motives of delicacy that
withheld him from intruding on the confidential conversation of the
newly-married pair, now quickened his steps and joined them, saying,