is is a princely gift,
uncle," he said, with the natural exaggeration of a grateful youngster.
"I don't know how to say thank you for it."

Ezra smiled, but said nothing. Reuben, repeating his leave-taking,
went away, and coming suddenly upon the bright sunlight and the renewed
clangor of the bells, was half stunned by the noise and dazzled by the
glare. With all this clash and brilliance, as if they existed because of
her, and were a part of her presence, appeared Ruth Fuller in the act
of passing Ezra's house. Ruth had brightness, but it was rather of the
twilight sort than this; and the music which seemed fittest to salute
her apparition might have been better supplied by these same bells at
a distance of a mile or two. Reuben was perturbed, as any mere mortal
might expect to be on encountering a goddess.

Let us see the goddess as well as may be.

She was country-bred to begin with, and though to Heydon Hay her
appearance smacked somewhat of the town, a dweller in towns would have
called her rustic. She wore a straw hat which was in the fashion of the
time, and to the eyes of the time looked charming, though twenty years
later we call it ugly, and speak no more than truth. Beneath this straw
hat very beautiful and plenteous brown hair escaped in defiance of
authority, and frolicked into curls and wavelets, disporting itself on a
forehead of creamy tone and smoothness, and just touching the eyebrows,
which were of a slightly darker brown, faintly arched on the lower
outline, and more prominently arched on the upper. Below the brows brown
eyes, as honest as the day, and with a frank smile always ready to break
through the dream which pretty often filled them. A short upper lip,
delicately curved and curiously mobile, a full lower lip, a chin
expressive of great firmness, but softened by a dimpled hollow in the
very middle of its roundness, a nose neither Grecian nor tilted, but
betwixt the two, and delightful, and a complexion familiar with sun and
air, wholesome, robust, and fine. In stature she was no more than on a
level with Reuben's chin; but Reuben was taller than common, standing
six feet in his stockings. This fact of superior height was not in
itself sufficient to account for the graceful inclination of the body
which always characterized Reuben when he talked with Ruth. There was a
tender and unconscious deference in his attitude which told more to the
least observant observer than Reuben would willingly h