And because she had no mother, and her heart was full, she turned in all simplicity to her prayers. Overhead a lark was singing, and she listened, her chin in her fists, her elbows digging into the soft earth, her broken phrases swelling his ecstasy— “_Almighty God, Father of all goodness—most humble and hearty thanks_——O God, I am so utterly happy. If You only knew how grateful—how grateful—_my creation and preservation and all the blessings of my life_—because, of course, I see now, they were all blessings—Gran’papa and being poor and everything, or I shouldn’t have known Justin. O God, I do thank You so—for making Justin and for letting me know him and for letting him care—_and for all Thy goodness and loving kindness to me and all men_. I will be so good to him, God—I promise—I promise—I will always be good now. O God, teach me to be good enough and to understand him, so that he doesn’t get tired: _and I pray Thee give me that due sense of all Thy mercies_——Yes, I have, I have that due sense and I will show forth Thy praise, always, always—only please God, teach me to be good enough that he may never be disappointed and that I may make him happy, for Jesus Christ’s sake. _Amen._” She ceased, exhausted by her own passion; but the lark’s song continued, welling up untroubled like a spring of pure water, from the infinite calm of the sky. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ CHAPTER XX If, a year or two later, you could have persuaded Mrs. Cloud to tell you her thoughts, she would have said that she always considered the engagement ring to be at the bottom of the whole wretched business. If Laura had begun by being firm ... but Laura, she could not help feeling, had been lamentably wanting in backbone where Justin was concerned.... For Justin had his faults.... She was his mother, but she was not like some mothers.... She was perfectly willing to admit that Justin had his faults.... Oh, well—you could scarcely call them faults, perhaps that would be too strong, but—well, he was inclined to be dreamy sometimes: he had certainly been dreamy over the engagement ring.... But still, she could not help feeling that that was Laura’s fault.... Laura should have been firm.... Oh, of course, if Laura liked Justin to ride rough-shod over her, well and good! But then she should not have turned upon him afterwards! And that was just it—if they had been openly engaged it was quite reasonable that they should have had their differences: their slack months, so to speak, would not have mattered in the least.... The engagement ring would have fixed their status. But as it was....