"We never had one to stay in the house before.

I don't mean," catching a glimpse of Ruth's face, "that Catholics are--well--I don't mean _that_.
But still, you know, one would not like to make great _friends_ with a Catholic, would one, Ruth?
And he is so nice and so amusing that I do hope, as he is going to be a neighbor, he is a Protestant." And after a few more remarks of about the same calibre from Evelyn, the two cousins kissed and parted for the night.
"Will he do it ?" said Ruth to herself, when she was alone.

"Has he character enough, and perseverance enough, and money enough?
Oh, I wish Uncle John would talk to him!" Ruth was not aware that one word from herself would have more weight with a man like Dare than any number from an angel of heaven, if that angel were of the masculine gender.

If at the other side of the house Dare could have known how earnestly Ruth was thinking about him, he would not have been surprised (for he was not without experience), but he would have felt immensely flattered.
Vandon lay in a distant part of Mr.Alwynn's parish, and a perpetual curate had charge of the district.

Mr.Alwynn consequently seldom went there, but on the few occasions on which Ruth had accompanied him in his periodical visits she had seen enough.