"I wouldn't for the world have wrought harm to you or any of them." "No, love, I know you wouldn't.

I believe your motives were altogether kind and self-sacrificing," he said soothingly; "and you yourself would have been the greatest sufferer; the world judges hardly--how hardly my little girl-wife has no idea; wicked people would have found wicked motives to which to impute your act and caused a stain upon your fair fame that might never have been removed.
"But there, there, love, do not cry any more over it; happily, the whole thing is a secret between us two, and we may now dismiss the disagreeable subject forever.
"But shall we not promise each other that we will never part in anger, even when the separation may not be for an hour?
or ever lie down to sleep at night unreconciled, if there has been the slightest misunderstanding or coldness between us ?" "Oh, yes, yes, I promise!" she cried eagerly; "but, oh, dear Ned, I hope we will never, never have any more coldness or quarrelling between us, never say a cross word to each other." "And I join you, dearest, in both wish and promise." "I am growing very babyish," she said presently with a wistful look up into his face; "I can hardly bear to think of being parted from you for a day; and I suppose you'll have to be going off again to attend to that business affair ?" "Yes, as soon as I see that my wife is quite well enough to undertake the journey; for I'm not going again without her." "Oh, will you take me with you, Ned ?" she cried joyfully.

"How very good in you." "Good to myself, little woman," he said, smiling down at her; "it will turn a tiresome business trip into a pleasure excursion.

I have always found my enjoyment doubled by the companionship of my better half." "I call that rank heresy," she said laughing, "_you're_ the better half as well as the bigger.

I wish I were worthy of such a good husband," she added earnestly and with a look of loving admiration.