She arose and gave him her hand, and he led her forth to the head of the
set that was now forming, where she stood with downcast and blushing
face, admired by all the men, and envied by all the women that were
present.
This was not the only time he danced with her. He was cordial to all his
guests, but he devoted himself to Nora. This exclusive attention of the
young heir to the poor maiden gave anxiety to her sister and offense to
all the other women.
"No good will come of it," said one.
"No good ever does come of a rich young man paying attention to a poor
girl," added another.
"He is making a perfect fool of himself," said a third indignantly.
"He is making a perfect fool of her, you had better say," amended a
fourth, more malignant than the rest.
"Hannah, I don't like it! I'm a sort of elder brother-in-law to her, you
know, and I don't like it. Just see how he looks at her, Hannah! Why, if
I was to melt down my heart and pour it all into my face, I couldn't
look at you that-a-way, Hannah, true as I love you. Why, he's just
eating of her up with his eyes, and as for her, she looks as if it was
pleasant to be swallowed by him!" said honest Reuben Gray, as he watched
the ill-matched young pair as they sat absorbed in each other's society
in a remote corner of the barn.
"Nor do I like it, Reuben," sighed Hannah.
"I've a great mind to interfere! I've a right to! I'm her brother-in-law
to be."
"No, do not, Reuben; it would do more harm than good; it would make her
and everybody else think more seriously of these attentions than they
deserve. It is only for to-night, you know. After this, they will
scarcely ever meet to speak to each other again."
"As you please, Hannah, you are wiser than I am; but still, dear, I must
say that a great deal of harm may be done in a day. Remember, dear, that
(though I don't call it harm, but the greatest blessing of my life) it
was at a corn-shucking, where we met for the first time, that you and I
fell in love long of each other, and have we ever fell out of it yet?
No, Hannah, nor never will. But as you and I are both poor, and
faithful, and patient, and broken in like to bear things cheerful, no
harm has come of our falling in love at that corn-shucking. But now,
s'pose them there children fall in love long of each other by looking
into each other's pretty eyes--who's to hinder it? And that will be the
end of it? He can't marry her; that's impossible; a man of his rank and
a girl of hers! his mother and sisters would never let him! and if they
would, his own pride wouldn't! And so he'd go away and try to forget
her, and she'd stop home and break her heart. Hannah, love is like a
fire, easy to put out in the beginning, unpossible at the end. You just
better let me go and heave a bucket of water on to that there love while
it is a-kindling and before the blaze breaks out."