Here Peter looked at his watch and rose from the table.

“Time’s up, my boy.  I never allow myself but an hour at luncheon, and I am due at the bank in ten minutes.  Thank you, Auguste,—­and Auguste! please tell Botti the spaghetti was delicious.  Come, Jack.”

It was when he held Ruth in his arms that same afternoon—­behind the door, really,—­she couldn’t wait until they reached the room, —­that Jack whispered in her astonished and delighted ears the good news of the expected check from Garry’s committee.

“And daddy won’t lose anything; and he can take the new work!” she cried joyously.  “And we can all go up to the mountains together!  Oh, Jack!—­let me run and tell daddy!”

“No, my darling,—­not a word, Garry had no business to tell me what he did; and it might leak out and get him into trouble:—­No, don’t say a word.  It is only a few days off.  We shall all know next week.”

He had led her to the sofa, their favorite seat.

“And now I am going to tell you something that would be a million times better than Garry’s check if it were only true,—­but it isn’t.”

“Tell me, Jack,—­quick!” Her lips were close to his.

“Uncle Arthur wants to buy my ore lands.”

“Buy your—­And we are going to be—­married right away!  Oh, you darling Jack!”

“Wait,—­wait, my precious, until I tell you!” She did not wait, and he did not want her to.  Only when he could loosen her arms from his neck did he find her ear again, then he poured into it the rest of the story.

“But, oh, Jack!—­wouldn’t it be lovely if it were true,—­and just think of all the things we could do.”

“Yes,—­but it Isn’t true.”

“But just suppose it was, Jack!  You would have a horse of your own and we’d build the dearest little home and—­”

“But it never can be true, blessed,—­not out of the Cumberland property—­” protested Jack.

“But, Jack!  Can’t we suppose?  Why, supposing is the best fun in the world.  I used to suppose all sorts of things when I was a little girl.  Some of them came true, and some of them didn’t, but I had just as much fun as if they had all come true.”

“Did you ever suppose me?” asked Jack.  He knew she never had,—­he wasn’t worth it;—­but what difference did it make what they talked about!

“Yes,—­a thousand times.  I always knew, my blessed, that there was somebody like you in the world somewhere,—­and when the girls would break out and say ugly things of men,—­all men,—­I just knew they were not true of everybody.  I knew that you would come—­and that I should always look for you until I found you!  And now tell me!  Did you suppose about me, too, you darling Jack?”

“No,—­never.  There couldn’t be any supposing;—­there isn’t any now.  It’s just you I love, Ruth,—­you,—­and I love the ‘you’ in you—­That’s the best part of you.”