Besides, I know your heart, and don't care to be told of your
errors in judgment, no, not even by yourself. Sorry to offend an
authoress; but I decline to read your book, and, more than that, I
forbid you the subject entirely for the next thirty years, at least.
Let by-gones be by-gones."
That eventful morning Mr. Rutland called and proposed to Ruperta. She
declined politely, but firmly.
She told Mrs. Bassett, and Mrs. Bassett told Richard in a nervous way,
but his answer surprised her. He said he was very glad of it; Ruperta
could do better.
Mrs. Bassett could not resist the pleasure of telling Lady Bassett. She
went over on purpose, with her husband's consent.
Lady Bassett asked to see Ruperta. "By all means," said Richard
Bassett, graciously.
On her return to Highmore, Ruperta asked leave to go to the Hall every
day and nurse Lady Bassett. "They will let her die else," said she.
Richard Bassett assented to that, too. Ruperta, for some weeks, almost
lived at the Hall, and in this emergency revealed great qualities. As
the malevolent small-pox, passing through the gentle cow, comes out the
sovereign cow-pox, so, in this gracious nature, her father's vices
turned to their kindred virtues; his obstinacy of purpose shone here a
noble constancy; his audacity became candor, and his cunning wisdom.
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