“Not half, not a quarter, so much worthier as I hope you may some day find me! Try me through some reverse, John⁠—try me through some trial⁠—and tell them after that , what you think of me.”

“I will, my Life,” said John. “I promise it.”

“That’s my dear John. And you won’t speak a word now; will you?”

“And I won’t,” said John, with a very expressive look of admiration around him, “speak a word now!”

She laid her laughing cheek upon his breast to thank him, and said, looking at the rest of them sideways out of her bright eyes: “I’ll go further, Pa and Ma and Lavvy. John don’t suspect it⁠—he has no idea of it⁠—but I quite love him!”