第43章

amratherglad；UncleReubenwelldeservesthathispetschemeshouldmiscarry。Hewhocalledmyboyacoward，anignoblecoward，becausehewouldnotjoinsomecrack-brainedplanagainstthevalleywhichshelteredhisbelovedone!Andallthetimethisdreadful“coward“riskinghislifedailythere，withoutawordtoanyone!HowgladIamthatyouwillnothave，forallhermiserablemoney，thatlittledwarfishgranddaughteroftheinsolentoldmiser!’

Sheturned，andbyhersidewasstandingpoorRuthHuckabackherself，white，andsad，andlookingsteadilyatmymother’sface，whichbecameasredasaplumwhileherbreathdesertedher。

’Ifyouplease，madam，’saidthelittlemaiden，withherlargecalmeyesunwavering，’itisnotmyfault，butGodAlmighty’s，thatIamalittledwarfishcreature。Iknewnotthatyouregardedmewithsomuchcontemptonthataccount；neitherhaveyoutoldmygrandfather，atleastwithinmyhearing，thathewasaninsolentoldmiser。WhenIreturntoDulverton，whichItrusttodoto-morrow(foritistoolateto-day)，I

shallbecarefulnottotellhimyouropinionofhim，lestIshouldthwartanyschemesyoumayhaveuponhisproperty。Ithankyouallforyourkindnesstome，whichhasbeenverygreat，farmorethanalittledwarfishcreaturecould，forherownsake，expect。I

willonlyaddforyourfurtherguidanceonemorelittletruth。Itisbynomeanscertainthatmygrandfatherwillsettleanyofhismiserablemoneyuponme。IfI

offendhim，asIwouldinamoment，forthesakeofabraveandstraightforwardman’——hereshegavemeaglancewhichIscarcelyknewwhattodowith——’mygrandfather，uprightasheis，wouldleavemewithoutashilling。AndIoftenwishitwereso。Somanymiseriescomeuponmefromthemiserablemoney——’Hereshebrokedown，andburstoutcrying，andranawaywithafaintgood-bye；whilewethreelookedatoneanother，andfeltthatwehadtheworstofit。

’Impudentlittledwarf!’saidmymother，recoveringherbreathaftereversolong。’Oh，John，howthankfulyououghttobe!Whatalifeshewouldhaveledyou!’

’Well，Iamsure!’saidAnnie，throwingherarmsaroundpoormother：’whocouldhavethoughtthatlittleatomyhadsuchanoutrageousspirit!FormypartIcannotthinkhowshecanhavebeenslyenoughtohideitinthatcraftymanner，thatJohnmightthinkheranangel!’

’Well，formypart，’Ianswered，laughing，’IneveradmiredRuthHuckabackhalf，oraquartersomuchbefore。Sheisrarestuff。Iwouldhavebeengladtohavemarriedherto-morrow，ifIhadneverseenmyLorna。’

’AndanicenobodyIshouldhavebeen，inmyownhouse!’criedmother：’InevercanbethankfulenoughtodarlingLornaforsavingme。Didyouseehowhereyesflashed？’

’ThatIdid；andveryfinetheywere。Nowninemaidensoutoftenwouldhavefeignednottohaveheardonewordthatwassaid，andhaveborneblackmaliceintheirhearts。Come，Annie，now，wouldnotyouhavedoneso？’

’Ithink，’saidAnnie，’althoughofcourseIcannottell，youknow，John，thatIshouldhavebeenashamedathearingwhatwasnevermeantforme，andshouldhavebeenalmostasangrywithmyselfasanybody。’

’Soyouwould，’repliedmymother；’soanydaughterofminewouldhavedone，insteadofrailingandreviling。

However，Iamverysorrythatanywordsofminewhichthepoorlittlethingchosetooverhearshouldhavemadehersoforgetherself。Ishallbegherpardonbeforeshegoes，andIshallexpecthertobegmine。’

’Thatshewillneverdo，’saidI；’amoreresolutelittlemaidenneveryethadrightuponherside；

althoughitwasamereaccident。Imighthavesaidthesamethingmyself，andshewasharduponyou，motherdear。’

Afterthis，wesaidnomore，atleastaboutthatmatter；andlittleRuth，thenextmorning，leftus，inspiteofallthatwecoulddo。ShevowedaneverlastingfriendshiptomyyoungersisterEliza；butshelookedatAnniewithsomeresentment，whentheysaidgood-bye，forbeingsomuchtaller。AtanyratesoAnniefancied，butshemayhavebeenquitewrong。I

rodebesidethelittlemaidtillfarbeyondExeford，whenalldangerofthemoorwaspast，andthenIleftherwithJohnFry，notwishingtobetooparticular，afterallthetalkabouthermoney。Shehadtearsinhereyeswhenshebademefarewell，andshe