There were not many things in this empty, vain, hard unattractive world which excited her.

But the one thing in regard to which she had hopes and fears, doubts and resolutions,--the one matter as to which she knew that she must ever be on her guard, and yet as to which she hardly knew how she was to exercise her care,--was her child.
'And once I have seen her since I have been back, though only for a moment.' Then he paused as though expecting that she should say something;--but what was it possible that she should say?
She only looked at him with all her eyes, and retreated a little from him with her body, as anxious to get away from a man of his class who should dare even to speak to her of her girl.

'The truth is, Mrs.Bolton, that her image has been present to me through all my wanderings, and I am here to ask her to be my wife.' She rose from her chair as though to fly from him,--and then sitting down again stared at him with her mouth open and her eyes fixed upon him.

His wife! Her Hester to become the wife of such a one as that! Her girl, as to whom, when thinking of the future life of her darling, she had come to tell herself that there could be no man good enough, pure enough, true enough, firm enough in his faith and life, to have so tender, so inestimable a treasure committed to his charge!.