For a moment Eve did not speak:  then, with a sudden movement, she turned, saying to Reuben, “There’s something that before our lives are at any moment parted I’ve wanted to say to you, Reuben.  ’Tis that until now, this time while we’ve been all together here, I’ve never known what your worth is—­what you would be to any one who’d got the heart to value what you’d give.  Of late it has often seemed that I should think but very small of one who’d had the chance of your liking and yet didn’t know the proper value of such goodness.”

Reuben gave a look of disavowal, and Eve continued, adding with a little hesitation, “You mustn’t think it strange in me for saying this.  I couldn’t tell you if you didn’t know how everything lies between Adam and myself; but ever since this trouble’s come about all my thoughts seem changed, and people look quite different now to what they did before; and, most of all, I’ve learnt to know the friend I’ve got, and always had, in you, Reuben.”

Reuben did not answer for a moment.  He seemed struggling to keep back something he was yet prompted to speak of.  “Eve,” he said at length, “don’t think that I’ve not made mistakes, and great ones too.  When first I fought to battle down my leaning toward you, why was it?  Not because of doubting that ’twould ever be returned, but ’cos I held myself too good a chap in all my thoughts and ways to be taken up with such a butterfly concern as I took you to be.  I’d never have believed then that you’d have acted as I’ve seen you act.  I thought that love with you meant who could give you the finest clothes to wear and let you rule the roast the easiest; but you have shown me that you are made of better woman’s stuff than that.  And, after all, a man thinks better of himself for mounting high than stooping to pick up what can be had for asking any day.”

“No, no, Reuben:  your good opinion is more than I deserve,” said Eve, her memory stinging her with past recollections.  “If you want to see a dear, kind-hearted, unselfish girl, wait until Joan comes.  I do so hope that you will take to her!  I think you will, after what you’ve been to Jerrem and to Adam.  I want you and Joan to like each other.”

“I don’t think there’s much fear of that,” said Reuben.  “Jerrem’s spoke so freely about Joan that I seem to know her before ever having seen her.  Let me see:  her mind was at one time set on Adam, wasn’t it?”

“I think that she was very fond of Adam,” said Eve, coloring:  “and, so far as that goes, I don’t know that there is any difference now.  I’m sure she’d lay her life down if it would do him good.”

“Poor soul!” sighed Reuben, drawn by a friendly feeling to sympathize with Joan’s unlucky love.  “Her cup’s been full, and no mistake, of late.”

“Did Jerrem seem to feel it much that Uncle Zebedee ’d been took so strange?” asked Eve.

“I didn’t tell him more than I could help,” said Reuben.  “As much as possible I made it out to him that for the old man to come to London wouldn’t be safe, and the fear of that seemed to pacify him at once.”