Reuben did not speak. His hands were clenched on the arms of his chair, and for the first time Rose noticed that he looked old. A faint feeling of disgust came over her. She shivered, and took a step backwards as if she would leave him. Then her warm good nature and her gratitude to the man who had made her so happy, drove away the unnatural mood. She came close, and slipped her soft arms round his neck, pressing her lips to his. He groaned. "You mustn't fret, Reuben." "How can I help it?--they're all gone now save one ... my boys...." "Perhaps there'll be others." She had slid back to his knee, and the weight and warmth of her comforted him a little. He lifted his head quickly at her words. "Others?" "Yes, why not?" Her bold sweet eyes were looking into his and her mouth was curved like a heart. "Rose, Rose--my dear, my liddle dear--you döan't mean----" "Of course I mean. You needn't look so surprised. Such a thing has been known to happen." "Döan't go laughing at me, but tell me--when?" "In October." "Oh, God! oh, God!" His rapture and excitement alarmed her. His eyes blazed--he threw back his head and laughed in ecstasy. Then he seized her, and crumpled her to him, covering her face, her neck, her hair, her ears, with kisses, murmuring broken phrases of adoration and gratitude. Rose was definitely frightened, and broke free with some violence. "Oh, stop it, Ben! can't you see you're spoiling my dress? Why should you get in such a taking? You've had children before, and they've all been failures--I expect this one will only be like the rest." § 10. Rose's child was born towards the end of October. Once more Reuben had a son, and as he looked down on the little red hairless thing all his hopes and dreams were built anew. He had always lived too near the earth to let experience thump him into cynicism. He raised as glorious dreams over this baby as he had raised over the others, and seen crumble into ashes. Indeed, the fact that his earlier hopes had failed made him warm himself more gratefully at this rekindling. He saw himself at last raised out of the pit of difficulty--he would not lose this boy as he had lost the others, he would perhaps be softer and more indulgent, he would at all events be wiser, and the child should indeed be a son to him and to Odiam. "Unto Us--Reuben and Odiam--a child is born; unto Us a son is given." He was soon confirmed in his idea that the birth had brought him luck. Before little David was a week old, the welcome news came that Lardner had died. For some time he had been able to swallow only milk food, and his speech had been reduced to a confused roaring, but his death at this juncture seemed to Reuben a happy coincidence, an omen of good fortune for himself and his son.