Margaret smiled. “Yes—in a way—but it is impossible for me to mistake the feeling with which she regards me. I am very sorry, for my own sake as well as yours; but I could never be happy if I made your mother miserable—because she is your mother.” “I wish she knew you, really.” “I am afraid it would make no difference.” “She knows that I love you, and hope to marry you, because I have told her myself. She will relent after a time; but it is hard to wait. At least grant me one favour, my darling. Let me know from your own lips that you accept me, and give me your promise, as I give you mine, that you will not marry another.” Margaret’s face paled a little. “I will give the promise, but not accept it,” she said. “And I give it and accept it, too,” answered John, promptly. The thought that kept repeating itself to Margaret was, “If I could only be sure about Tom!” and she was wondering all the time whether it would not be better to ask her friend a direct question, and so get at the truth. “And for the rest we must wait,” she said aloud. “We need not wait an hour before we are pledged to each other. Do grant me at least this, my dearest, so that I can feel sure of you.” “Wait a week for that,” she said. “Very well; but you are not going to send me away without a crumb of comfort, to-night of all other times. Tell me in so many words that you love me.” “Oh, John, you know—you must know! I love you better, I think, than even my own happiness. Be content, my dear one.” And he was. CHAPTER XVII. A REPORT OF PROGRESS. “May the New Year bring in better times for the people!” This was the wish of the thousands. “May the New Year bring in better people for the times!” This was the wish of the tens. As is often the case, the tens were more wise than the thousands, for the times do not make the people, but the people make the times; and if the makers are good, that which is made is certain to be good also. That year was a most wonderfully progressive year in England: there had never been anything like it before. There were forces at work to make it so, which, though they were as old as Christianity itself, seemed to be more mighty than ever, and the strongest of them all was love. People said that there was a revival among the churches, but it resolved itself into one fact—the members of the churches were honestly trying to love one another more, not in word, but in deed and in truth. There was, perhaps, not a town nor a hamlet in which no special effort was made to place things on a more satisfactory basis than before. It could not be said that any one man was instrumental in bringing this about, but Arthur Knight certainly had a large share in it, and an indication of what was done in one town will show how the whole country was being affected.