"Which I don't think she is liable to do. I don't know that I would mind Mr. Jeffreys' having it any more than I do that Grace should. He, at least, is of the Talbot blood." "There is something in that. I wish it were all yours; I can't bear the idea of your wearing yourself out teaching, Linda." The words came with caressing concern. "I am more fortunate than most. Think of my having a home with Miss Ri, and among my own people. I suppose it actually isn't so much that the teaching is difficult as that I am so constituted that I can't really love it. It is a great thing to make one's living in the way one likes best; that seems to me to be half the battle." "And what is it you like best?" "To scribble." "Have you sent out any more of your work?" "No, but I intend to." "And I hope you will finally meet such success that you can give yourself up to that kind of work. I agree with you that one ought to discover what are his best powers and make the best use of them he possibly can; if he would be happy." "You are happy in your work, Berk, aren't you?" "Yes, I love it, thank fortune, and I am beginning to see glimpses of a future." "That is good," returned Linda with satisfaction. "You deserve success, Berk." "No more than others." "Much more than most others. Was ever a better son, or brother, if it comes to that?" "Oh, nonsense, it is no sacrifice to do things for those you love; in fact, I've been rather selfish in pleasing myself, indulging my love of bestowing. It is really no credit to give because one enjoys it." "Then there is no such thing as unselfishness in the world." "Oh, yes, there is; when one does a thing he doesn't like, or gives up something he really wants very much; that is my idea of unselfishness." "Then am I or am I not to consider that you have performed a selfish act in coming all the way to Boxford for me in all this rain?" asked Linda laughing. There may have been a little coquetry in the question, but she was hardly prepared for the seriousness of the reply. "It was purely and entirely selfish on my part. It was the one thing I wanted most to do, and I would go much further and through a thousand greater difficulties for you. In fact, there is nothing I wouldn't do to make you happy, Linda Talbot." "There's chivalry for you," returned Linda, determined to take the answer as lightly as possible. The warmth but not the earnestness had gone out of his tones when he made the next remark: "I wish I could make it possible for you to stop teaching, Linda." "Marry Grace off and get back Talbot's Angles for me, and I will stop," she replied in a matter-of-fact tone. "Then would you go down there to live?" "No, I'd still let Phillips have the place, but I would go down there often, and it would bring me enough to live on. I could persuade Miss Ri to spend part of the year there, maybe, and--oh, wouldn't it be lovely?"