Ruth

in Perilo

blue heavens above. Ruth thought it was too strong a realisation of her hopes, and looked for an over-clouding at noon; but the glory endured, and a

en Ruth checked Mr Bellingham, by a slight motion of the hand which lay within his arm, and glanced up into his face to see what that face should express as it looked on Milham Grange, now lying still and peaceful in its afternoon shadows. It was a house of after-thoughts; building materials were plentiful in the neighbourhood, and every successive owner had found a necessity for some addition or projection, till it was a picturesque mass of irregularity-of broken light a

o Ruth's heart; she thought it was possible the state entrance had never been used since her father's dead body had been borne forth, and, without speaking a word, she turned abruptly away, and

day in his Prayer-book, and reading the words out aloud-a habit he had acquired from the double solitude of his life, for he was deaf. He did not hear the quiet entranc

my soul: and why art thou

ll yet thank him, which is the h

ere not fully understood, carried a faithful peace down into the depths of his soul. As he looked up, he saw the young couple standing on the middl

bless thee! My old eyes a

he had already begun to appropriate as his own, so tenderly familiar with a hard-featured, meanly-dressed day-labourer. He sauntered to the window, and looked out into the grass-grown farm-yard; but he could not help overhearin

t things which are "too ridiculous," it made him very angry. He was hardly himself again when Ruth shyly came to the window-recess and asked him if he would like to see the house-place, into which the front door entered; many people thought it very pretty, she said, half tim

ardly let out in the very heat of summer; for with the thick stone walls, and the deep window-seats, and the drapery of vine-leaves and ivy, that room, with its flag-floor, seemed always to want the sparkle and cheery warmth of a fire. But now the green shadows from without seemed to have become black in the uninhabited desolation. The oaken shovel-board, the heavy dresser, and the carved cupboards, were now dull and damp, which were formerly polished up to the brightness of a looking-glass where the fire-blaze was for ever glinting; they only added to the oppressive gloom; the flag-floor was wet with heavy moisture. Ruth stood gazing into the room, seeing nothing of what was present. She saw a vision

good; it cannot bring back the dead," said Mr B

ll ever bring them back again." She sobbed afresh, but more gently, for his kind wo

ome"-raising her with gentle violence-"show me your little garden you have often told me about.

ed box and yew-trees by the grass-plat, further away from the house; and she prattled again of her childish adventures and solitary plays. When they

am spoke ra

about in that way? It is excessiv

out of the 'Pilgrim's Progress.' He taught me to suck up milk through a straw. Mamma was very fond of him too. He used to sit with us always in the evenings when papa was away at market, fo

y you have sat upon t

many and m

favourite bushes or plants, to which some history or remembrance was attached. She wound in and out in natural, graceful, wavy lines between the luxuriant and overgrown shrubs, which were fragrant with a leafy smell of sp

ut, while Mr Bellingham's feeling was that of passionate admiration mingled with a selfish k

isdoubt that young fellow though, for all she called him a real gentleman, and checked me when I asked if he was her sweetheart. If his are not sweetheart's looks, I

ngham's countenance, visible to the old man's keen eye; but came running up t

myself; it shall be all in the fashion, big gigot sleeves, that she sh

ar thou hast not forgotten thy old merry ways. The Lord bless

did not know how. When she came up, all he could think of to say was a text; indeed, the language of the Bible was the language in which he thought, whenever his ideas went bey

o imagine a lion's head with glaring eyes peering out of the bushes in a dark shady part of the wood, which, for this reason, she had always avoided, and even now could hardly think of wi

she's treading in perilous places. I'll put my missis up to going to the town and getting speech of her, and tellin

or Ruth. He called it "wrestling for her soul;" and I think

ish years, at sixteen not yet lost, into a softened manner which was infinitely charming. By-and-by she cleared up into sunny happiness. The evening was

dipping in their wings in their evening sport. Indeed, all sorts of birds seemed to haunt the lonely pool; the water-wagtails were scattered around its margin, the linnets perched on the topmost sprays of the gorse-bushes, and other hidden warblers sang their vespers on the uneven ground beyond. On the far side of the green waste, close by the road, and well placed for the requirements of horses or their riders who might be weary with the ascent of the hill, there was a public-house, which was more of a farm than an inn. It was a long, low buil

k heath, which should make so brave an autumn show; and now over wild thyme and other fragrant herbs, they made their way, with many a merry laugh. Once on the road, at the summit, Ruth stood silent, in breathless delight at the view before her. The hill fell suddenly down into the plain, extending for a dozen miles or more. There was a clump of dark Scotch firs close to them, which cut clear against the western sky, and threw back the nearest levels into distance. The plain below them was richly wooded, and was tinte

near at hand; nor were the lowings of the cattle, nor the calls of the farm-servants discordant, for the voices seemed to be hushed by the brooding consciousness of t

so late?"

home long before nine. Stay, there is a shorter road, I know, through the fields; just wait a mo

w it reached the table-land, and was close upon them as they separated. Ruth turned round, when

Mrs Mason had clearly seen, with her sharp, needle-like eyes, the attitude in which Ruth had stood with the yo

t if their conduct was in any degree influenced by the force of these temptations. She called this intolerance "keeping up the character of her estab

in a draper's shop in a neighbouring town. She was full of indignation against want of steadiness, though not willing to direct her indignation against the right object-her ne'er-do-well darling. While she was thus charged wit

ly. Then, dropping her voice to low, bitter tones of co

u, and your spark, too. I'll have no slurs on the character of my apprentices.

ale, as if the lightning had torn up the ground beneath her feet. She could not go on standing, she was so s

ll? Speak, darling! My love

nes! They loosened the fountain of R

her-did you hea

ll me what it is. Who has been near you?-who

nd there was a fre

re you sure? I was n

angry; she said I must never show my fac

Mrs Mason had often treated her for involuntary failings, of which she had been quite unconscious; and now she had really done wrong, and shrank with terror from the consequences. Her eyes were so blinded by the fast-falling tears, she did not see (nor had she

unate; for, you see, I did not like to name it to you before, but, I believe-I have business, in fact, wh

error she had been experiencing at the idea of Mrs Mason's anger. It seemed to her at this moment as though she could have borne everything but his departure; b

oo; for where you can go I do not know at all. From all you have told me of

Mrs Mason's displeasure seemed a distant thing; h

ome; the thought of leaving you at all is pain enough, but in these circumstances-so f

th him; and as for the future, he would arrange and decide for that. The future lay wrapped in a golden mist, which she did not care to penetra

love me enough to trust me? Oh, Ruth,"

crying, but wa

pain to me; but it is worse to feel how indifferent

. She burst into a

't know when I shall see you again. Oh, Ruth!

he could not hear it, though he bent d

hen you will not suffer me to go away alone and unhappy, most anxious about you? There is no other course open to you; my poor girl has

Mr Bellingham, you should help me, and

laim, that creature a tyrannical, inflexible woman; what is more natural (and, being natural, more right) than that you should throw yourself upon the care of the one who loves you dearly-who would go through fire and water for you-wh

east), and made as though he would have drawn his h

e I have no friend but you. Don't leave me,

ff; I, who might be able to befriend you-through my mother, perhaps-I, who could at least comfort you a little (could not I, Ruth?), am away, far away, for an indefinite time; that is your position at present. Now, what I advise is this. Come with me into this little inn; I will order tea for you-

al word of which she so little imagined the infinite conseq

cold, love! Come into the house, and

the civil farmer-landlord, who conducted them into a neat parlour, with windows opening into the garden at the back of the house. T

r this lady!" The

for you are shivering all over, and deadly pale with the fright that abominable woman has

er childhood for one scene, with the terror of Mrs Mason's unexpected appearance for another; and then, strangest, dizziest, happiest of all, there was t

e to her poor eyes; and when the daughter of the house brought in the sharp light of the cand

ing voice. "Let me make you some tea, miss, it will do you good. Ma

her's death) made tea, and brought Ruth a cup to the sofa where she lay. Ruth was feverish and thirsty, and eagerly drank it off, althou

perhaps you are busy. You have been very kind,

the window, scented the place, and the delicious fragrance reminded her of her old home. I think scents affect and quicken the memory more than either sights or sounds; for Ruth had instantly b

e if I stayed at Milham Grange. Oh, would it not be better to go to them? I wonder if he would be very sorry! I could not bear to make him sorry, so kind as he has been to me; but I do believe it would

in debt, for (like a child) all dilemmas appeared of equal magnitude to her; and the difficulty of passing the landlord while he stood there, and of giving him an explanation of the circumstances (as far as such explanation was due to him), appeared insuperable, and as awkward, and fraught with inconvenience, as far more serious situations. She kept peeping out of her room, after she had written her little pencil-note, to see if the outer door was still obstructed. There he stood, motionless, enjoying his pipe, and loo

head to listen. She heard him speaking to the landlord, though she could not distinguish what he said; heard the

ilham Grange," said she, holding bac

ou must go in the carriage," said he, hurriedly. She was little accustomed to oppose the wishes of any one-obedient and doci