' And he laughed fondly, and was taking down a volume that rather
stuck in its place, so he could not turn to look at her; for, the truth
was, he supposed she was blushing, and could not bear to add to her
confusion; and he, though he continued his homely work, and clapped the
sides of his books together, and blew on their tops, and went so simply
and plainly to the point, was flushed and very nervous himself; for,
though he thought of her marriage at some time or another as a thing
that was to be, still it had seemed a long way off. And now, now it was
come, and little Lily was actually going to be married--going away--and
her place would know her no more; and her greeting and her music would
be missed in the evening, and the garden lonely, and the Elms dark,
without Lily.
'And he wants to marry my little Lily, if she'll have him. And what does
my darling wish me to say to him?' and he spoke very cheerily.
'My darling, _you're_ my darling; and your little Lily will never, never
leave you. She'll stay.' And here the little speech stopped, for she was
crying, with her arms about his neck; and the old man cried, too, and
smiled over her, and patted her gracious head, with a little trembling
laugh, and said, 'God bless you, my treasure.
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