These were calm words, uttered with much, very much, self-restraint; yet eyes and voice could not be so perfectly controlled as language was, and these spoke eloquently of the man’s adoration of the woman.

She put her hand in his large, rough palm—­the palm inherited from many generations of hard workers—­where it lay like a white kernel in a brown shell, and she answered quietly, with controlled emotion: 

“Rule, I would rather come to you now forever, and share your life, however hard, and help your work, however difficult, than part from you again; or, if this happiness is not for us now, I would wait for years—­I would wait for you forever.”

“God bless you!  God bless you, my dear! my dear!  But is not this in your own choice, Cora?”

“No; it is in my grandfather’s.”

“You are of age, dear.”

“Yes.  But not because I am of age would I disobey his will.  He has always done his duty by me faithfully.  I must do mine by him.  He is old now.  I must not oppose him.  He may consent to our union at once, for you are a very great favorite with him.  But his will must be consulted.”

“Of course, dear.  I meant to speak to Mr. Rockharrt after speaking to you.”

“And to abide by his wishes, Rule?”

“If I must.  But I would rather abide by yours only, since you are of age,” said the young man.

And what more was spoken need not be repeated here.  The next day Rule Rothsay called early, and asked to see Mr. Rockharrt.

“Ah!  Ah!  You come to tell me that you have seen Hunter, I suppose?  How does he stand affected toward my bill?” exclaimed the Iron King, pointing to one chair for his guest and dropping into another himself.

“The truth is, Mr. Rockharrt, I came to see you on quite another matter—­”

The young man paused.  The old man looked attentive and curious.

“It is a matter of the deepest interest to me—­”

Again Rule paused, for Mr. Rockharrt was looking at him with bent brows, staring eyes, and bristling iron gray hair and beard, or hair and beard that seemed to bristle.

“Your granddaughter—­” began Rule.  “Your granddaughter has made me very happy by consenting to become my wife, with your approbation,” calmly replied Rule.

“Oh!” exclaimed the old man, in a peculiar tone, between surprise and derision.  “And so you have come to ask my consent to your marriage with my granddaughter?”

“If you please, Mr. Rockharrt.”

“And so that is the reason why you worked so hard to get my railroad bill through the legislature.  Well, I always believed that every man had his price; but I thought you were the exception to the general rule.  I thought you were not for sale.  But it seems that I was mistaken, and that you were for sale, and set a pretty high price upon yourself, too—­the hand of my granddaughter!”

The young man was not ill-tempered or irritable.  Perfectly conscious of his own sound integrity, he was unmoved by this taunt; and he answered with quiet dignity: