Little was standing at the porch.

A thrill of delight traversed Grace’s bosom.

It was followed, however, by a keen pang.  Jael Dence sat beside him, sewing; and Grace saw, in a moment, she was sewing complacently.  It was more than Grace could bear.  She pulled the check-string, and the carriage stopped.

CHAPTER XXI.

Henry Little, at this moment, was in very low spirits.  His forge was in the yard, and a faithful body-guard at his service; but his right arm was in a sling, and so he was brought to a stand-still; and Coventry was with Grace at the house; and he, like her, was tortured with jealousies; and neither knew what the other suffered.

But everything vanished in a flood of joy when the carriage stopped and that enchanting face looked out at him, covered with blushes, that told him he could not be indifferent to her.

“Oh, Mr. Little, are you better?”

“I’m all right.  But, you see, I can’t work.”

“Ah, poor arm.  But why should you work?  Why not accept Mr. Raby’s offer?  How proud you are!”

“Should you have thought any better of me if I had?”

“No.  I don’t want you altered.  It would spoil you.  You will come and see us at Woodbine Villa!  Only think how many things we have to talk of now.”

“May I?”

“Why, of course.”

“And will you wait two years for me?”

“Two years!” (blushing like a rose.) “Why, I hope it will not be two days before you come and see us.”

“Ah, you mock me.”

“No; no.  But suppose you should take the advice I gave you in my mad letter?”

“There’s no fear of that.”

“Are you sure?” (with a glance at Jael.)

“Quite sure.”

“Then—­good-by.  Please drive on.”

She wouldn’t answer his question; but her blushes and her radiant satisfaction, and her modest but eloquent looks of love, fully compensated her silence on that head, and the carriage left him standing there, a figure of rapture.

Next day Dr. Amboyne rode up to the farm with a long envelope, and waved it over his head in triumph.  It contained a communication from the Secretary of the Philanthropic Society.  The committee were much struck with Mr. Little’s report, but feared that no manufacturer would act on his suggestions.  They were willing to advance L500 toward setting Mr. Little himself up as a manufacturer, if he would bind himself to adopt and carry out the improvements suggested in his report.  The loan to bear no interest, and the return of the capital to depend upon the success of the scheme.  Dr. Amboyne for the society, to have the right of inspecting Mr. Little’s books, if any doubt should arise on that head.  An agreement was inclosed, and this was more full, particular, and stringent in form than the above, but the purport substantially the same.

Little could not believe his good fortune at first.  But there was no disbelieving it; the terms were so cold, precise, and business-like.