Ruth was never more certain that she was right and that she was sufficient unto herself.

She, may be, did not much heed the still small voice that sang in her maiden heart as she went about her work, and which lightened it and made it easy, "Philip has come." "I am glad for father's sake," she said to Philip, that thee has come.
"I can see that he depends greatly upon what thee can do.

He thinks women won't hold out long," added Ruth with the smile that Philip never exactly understood.
"And aren't you tired sometimes of the struggle ?" "Tired?
Yes, everybody is tired I suppose.

But it is a glorious profession.

And would you want me to be dependent, Philip ?" "Well, yes, a little," said Philip, feeling his way towards what he wanted to say.
"On what, for instance, just now ?" asked Ruth, a little maliciously Philip thought.
"Why, on----" he couldn't quite say it, for it occurred to him that he was a poor stick for any body to lean on in the present state of his fortune, and that the woman before him was at least as independent as he was.
"I don't mean depend," he began again.