Her daily absence at her duties to the Bradshaw children only ministered to her love for Leonard.  Everything does minister to love when its foundation lies deep in a true heart, and it was with an exquisite pang of delight that, after a moment of vague fear,

("Oh, mercy! to myself I said, If Lucy should be dead!”)

she saw her child’s bright face of welcome as he threw open the door every afternoon on her return home.  For it was his silently-appointed work to listen for her knock, and rush breathless to let her in.  If he were in the garden, or upstairs among the treasures of the lumber-room, either Miss Benson, or her brother, or Sally would fetch him to his happy little task; no one so sacred as he to the allotted duty.  And the joyous meeting was not deadened by custom, to either mother or child.

Ruth gave the Bradshaws the highest satisfaction, as Mr. Bradshaw often said both to her and to the Bensons; indeed, she rather winced under his pompous approbation.  But his favourite recreation was patronising; and when Ruth saw how quietly and meekly Mr. Benson submitted to gifts and praise, when an honest word of affection, or a tacit, implied acknowledgment of equality, would have been worth everything said and done, she tried to be more meek in spirit, and to recognise the good that undoubtedly existed in Mr. Bradshaw.  He was richer and more prosperous than ever;—­a keen, far-seeing man of business, with an undisguised contempt for all who failed in the success which he had achieved.  But it was not alone those who were less fortunate in obtaining wealth than himself that he visited with severity of judgment; every moral error or delinquency came under his unsparing comment.  Stained by no vice himself, either in his own eyes or in that of any human being who cared to judge him, having nicely and wisely proportioned and adapted his means to his ends, he could afford to speak and act with a severity which was almost sanctimonious in its ostentation of thankfulness as to himself.  Not a misfortune or a sin was brought to light but Mr. Bradshaw could trace to its cause in some former mode of action, which he had long ago foretold would lead to shame.  If another’s son turned out wild or bad, Mr. Bradshaw had little sympathy; it might have been prevented by a stricter rule, or more religious life at home; young Richard Bradshaw was quiet and steady, and other fathers might have had sons like him if they had taken the same pains to enforce obedience.  Richard was an only son, and yet Mr. Bradshaw might venture to say he had never had his own way in his life.  Mrs. Bradshaw was, he confessed (Mr. Bradshaw did not dislike confessing his wife’s errors), rather less firm than he should have liked with the girls; and with some people, he believed, Jemima was rather headstrong; but to his wishes she had always shown herself obedient.  All children were obedient if their parents were decided and authoritative; and every one would turn out well, if properly managed.  If they did not prove good, they might take the consequences of their errors.