Edward then turned away from the man, and went into the wicket-gate of the garden, and knocked at the door of the House. The door was opened by Patience Heatherstone herself, who said, "Oh, how glad I am to see you! Come in." Edward took off his hat and bowed. Patience led the way into her father's study, where Edward had been first received.
"And now," said Patience, extending her hand to Edward, "thanks, many thanks, for your preserving me from so dreadful a death. You don't know how unhappy I have been at not being able to give you my poor thanks for your courageous behavior."
Her hand still remained in Edward's while she said this.
"You rate what I did too highly," replied Edward; "I would have done the same for any one in such distress: it was my duty as a—man," Cavalier he was about to say, but he checked himself.
"Sit down," said Patience, taking a chair; "nay, no ceremony; I can not treat as an inferior one to whom I owe such a debt of gratitude."
Edward smiled as he took his seat.
"My father is as grateful to you as I am—I'm sure that he is—for I heard him, when at prayer, call down blessings on your head. What can he do for you? I begged Oswald Partridge to bring you here that I might find out. Oh, sir, do, pray, let me know how we can show our gratitude by something more than words."
"You have shown it already, Mistress Patience," replied Edward; "have you not honored a poor forester with your hand in friendship, and even admitted him to sit down before you?"
"He who has preserved my life at the risk of his own becomes to me as a brother—at least I feel as a sister toward him: a debt is still a debt, whether indebted to a king or to a—"
"Forester, Mistress Patience; that is the real word that you should not have hesitated to have used. Do you imagine that I am ashamed of my calling?"