By degrees the pain of her state was forgotten in her new circumstances, and getting to be generally accepted as the widow of a sergeant-major of dragoons—­an assumption which her modest and mournful demeanour seemed to substantiate—­her life became a placid one, her mind being nourished by the melancholy luxury of dreaming what might have been her future in New Zealand with John, if he had only lived to take her there.  Her only travels now were a journey to Ivell on market-days, and once a fortnight to the churchyard in which Clark lay, there to tend, with Johnny’s assistance, as widows are wont to do, the flowers she had planted upon his grave.

On a day about eighteen months after his unexpected decease, Selina was surprised in her lodging over her little shop by a visit from Bartholomew Miller.  He had called on her once or twice before, on which occasions he had used without a word of comment the name by which she was known.

‘I’ve come this time,’ he said, ’less because I was in this direction than to ask you, Mrs. Clark, what you mid well guess.  I’ve come o’ purpose, in short.’

She smiled.

‘’Tis to ask me again to marry you?’

’Yes, of course.  You see, his coming back for ’ee proved what I always believed of ’ee, though others didn’t.  There’s nobody but would be glad to welcome you to our parish again, now you’ve showed your independence and acted up to your trust in his promise.  Well, my dear, will you come?’

‘I’d rather bide as Mrs. Clark, I think,’ she answered.  ’I am not ashamed of my position at all; for I am John’s widow in the eyes of Heaven.’

’I quite agree—­that’s why I’ve come.  Still, you won’t like to be always straining at this shop-keeping and market-standing; and ’twould be better for Johnny if you had nothing to do but tend him.’

He here touched the only weak spot in Selina’s resistance to his proposal—­the good of the boy.  To promote that there were other men she might have married offhand without loving them if they had asked her to; but though she had known the worthy speaker from her youth, she could not for the moment fancy herself happy as Mrs. Miller.

He paused awhile.  ’I ought to tell ‘ee, Mrs. Clark,’ he said by and by, ’that marrying is getting to be a pressing question with me.  Not on my own account at all.  The truth is, that mother is growing old, and I am away from home a good deal, so that it is almost necessary there should be another person in the house with her besides me.  That’s the practical consideration which forces me to think of taking a wife, apart from my wish to take you; and you know there’s nobody in the world I care for so much.’

She said something about there being far better women than she, and other natural commonplaces; but assured him she was most grateful to him for feeling what he felt, as indeed she sincerely was.  However, Selina would not consent to be the useful third person in his comfortable home—­at any rate just then.  He went away, after taking tea with her, without discerning much hope for him in her good-bye.