"
"God bless you, my brother! I hope,--I hope you'll be my brother."
Then, as he put out his hand to her once more, she raised her head
towards him, and he, stooping down, kissed her forehead. "Make mamma
come to me," were the last words she spoke as he went out at the
door.
"So you've made your speech," said Mrs Dale.
"Yes, mamma."
"I hope it was a discreet speech."
"I hope it was, mamma. But it has made me so tired, and I believe
I'll go to bed. Do you know I don't think I should have done much
good down at the school to-day?"
Then Mrs Dale, in her anxiety to repair what injury might have been
done to her daughter by over-exertion, omitted any further mention of
the farewell speech.
Dr Crofts as he rode home enjoyed but little of the triumph of a
successful lover. "It may be that she's right," he said to himself;
"and, at any rate, I'll ask again." Nevertheless, that "No" which
Bell had spoken, and had repeated, still sounded in his ears harsh
and conclusive. There are men to whom a peal of noes rattling about
their ears never takes the sound of a true denial, and others to whom
the word once pronounced, be it whispered ever so softly, comes as
though it were an unchangeable verdict from the supreme
judgment-seat.
Pages:
839
840
841
842
843
844
845
846
847
848
849
850
851
852
853
854
855
856
857
858
859
860
861
862
863