But you won't fall into this error." Ruth listened to Mr Benson; but she had not yet fallen sufficiently into the tone of his mind to understand him fully.

She only felt that he comprehended her better than Miss Benson, who once more tried to reconcile her to her present, by calling her attention to the length and breadth thereof.
"I will do what you wish me," she said, after a little pause of thoughtfulness.

"May we talk of something else ?" Mr Benson saw that his sister's frame of mind was not particularly congenial with Ruth's, any more than Ruth's was with Miss Benson's; and, putting aside all thought of returning to the business which had appeared to him so important when he came into the room (but which principally related to himself), he remained above an hour in the parlour, interesting them on subjects far removed from the present, and left them at the end of that time soothed and calm.
But the present gave a new current to Ruth's ideas.

Her heart was as yet too sore to speak, but her mind was crowded with plans.

She asked Sally to buy her (with the money produced by the sale of a ring or two) the coarsest linen, the homeliest dark blue print, and similar materials; on which she set busily to work to make clothes for herself; and as they were made, she put them on; and as she put them on, she gave a grace to each, which such homely material and simple shaping had never had before.