"No, no. I couldn't have done less, and so far I have received far more than I gave. But I must be getting back, or things will have got tied into a knot," and putting on his hat, he hurried away. Ruth came back into the room as soon as William had disappeared. Her eyes were still red and her lashes wet with tears, but there was a bright, happy smile on her lips. "Oh, Ralph," she said, "isn't it almost too good to be true?" "It may not be so good as it looks," he said, in a tone of banter. "Oh, it must be, Ralph; for, of course, we shall go back again to Hillside to live." "But we can't live on nothing, you know, and the whole thing may turn out a frost." "But you are quite sure it won't, or you and William Menire would not be so elated at getting it." "Are we elated?" "You are. You can hardly contain yourself at this moment. You would like to get on the top of the house and shout." "Which would be a very unwise thing to do. We must not breathe a word to anyone till the thing is absolutely settled." "And what will you do then?" "Begin prospecting. If I can get as much out of the place as father sunk in it I shall be quite content." During the next few weeks William Menire and the Penlogans saw a good deal of each other. Nearly every evening after his shutters had been put up William stole away to St. Ivel. He and Ralph had so many plans to discuss and so many schemes to mature. Ruth was allowed to listen to all the debates, and frequently she was asked to give advice. It was in some respects a very trying time for William. The more he saw of Ruth the more he admired her. She seemed to grow bonnier every day. The sound of her voice stirred his heart like music, her smile was like summer sunshine. Moreover, she treated him with increasing courtesy, and even tenderness, so much so that it became a positive pain to him to hide his affection. And yet he wanted to be perfectly loyal to his Cousin Sam. Sam had proposed to her, Sam was waiting for an answer, if he had not already received it, and it would be a very uncousinly act to put the smallest obstacle in the way. Not that William supposed for a moment that he could ever be a rival to Sam in any true sense of the word. On the other hand, he knew that Ruth was of so generous and grateful a nature that she might be tempted to accept him out of pure gratitude if he were bold enough and base enough to propose to her. So William held himself in check with a firm hand and made no sign, but what the effort cost him no one knew. To sit in the same room with her evening after evening, to watch the play of her features and see the light sparkle in her soft brown eyes, and yet never by word or look betray the passion that was consuming him, was an experience not given to many men.