'Then if you were in my place, what would you do ?' he added, with a tone of command never heard in his gentle voice before.
'Bless me! the boy is in dead earnest, and I shall forget prudence in sympathy I'm afraid,' thought Mrs Jo, surprised and pleased by the unexpected manliness Nat showed.
'I'll tell you what I should do.

I'd say to myself: "I'll prove that my love is strong and faithful, and make Daisy's mother proud to give her to me by being not only a good musician but an excellent man, and so command respect and confidence.

This I will try for; and if I fail, I shall be the better for the effort, and find comfort in the thought that I did my best for her sake."' 'That is what I meant to do.

But I wanted a word of hope to give me courage,' cried Nat, firing up as if the smouldering spark was set ablaze by a breath of encouragement.

'Other fellows, poorer and stupider than I, have done great things and come to honour.