“I do not see any danger that can arise,” said he at length, and with slow difficulty, as if not fully convinced.  “I have watched Ruth, and I believe she is pure and truthful; and the very sorrow and penitence she has felt—­the very suffering she has gone through—­has given her a thoughtful conscientiousness beyond her age.”

“That and the care of her baby,” said Miss Benson, secretly delighted at the tone of her brother’s thoughts.

“Ah, Faith! that baby you so much dreaded once, is turning out a blessing, you see,” said Thurstan, with a faint, quiet smile.

“Yes! any one might be thankful, and better too, for Leonard; but how could I tell that it would be like him?”

“But to return to Ruth and Mr. Bradshaw.  What did you say?”

“Oh! with my feelings, of course, I was only too glad to accept the proposal, and so I told Mrs. Bradshaw, then; and I afterwards repeated it to Mr. Bradshaw, when he asked me if his wife had mentioned their plans.  They would understand that I must consult you and Ruth, before it could be considered as finally settled.”

“And have you named it to her?”

“Yes,” answered Miss Benson, half afraid lest he should think she had been too precipitate.

“And what did she say?” asked he, after a little pause of grave silence.

“At first she seemed very glad, and fell into my mood of planning how it should all be managed; how Sally and I should take care of the baby the hours that she was away at Mr. Bradshaw’s; but by-and-by she became silent and thoughtful, and knelt down by me and hid her face in my lap, and shook a little as if she was crying; and then I heard her speak in a very low smothered voice, for her head was still bent down—­quite hanging down, indeed, so that I could not see her face, so I stooped to listen, and I heard her say, ’Do you think I should be good enough to teach little girls, Miss Benson?’ She said it so humbly and fearfully that all I thought of was how to cheer her, and I answered and asked her if she did not hope to be good enough to bring up her own darling to be a brave Christian man?  And she lifted up her head, and I saw her eyes looking wild and wet and earnest, and she said, ‘With God’s help, that will I try to make my child.’  And I said then, ’Ruth, as you strive and as you pray for your own child, so you must strive and pray to make Mary and Elizabeth good, if you are trusted with them.’  And she said out quite clear, though her face was hidden from me once more, ’I will strive and I will pray.’  You would not have had any fears, Thurstan, if you could have heard and seen her last night.”

“I have no fear,” said he decidedly.  “Let the plan go on.”  After a minute, he added, “But I am glad it was so far arranged before I heard of it.  My indecision about right and wrong—­my perplexity as to how far we are to calculate consequences—­grows upon me, I fear.”

“You look tired and weary, dear.  You should blame your body rather than your conscience at these times.”