“This—this fancy—this hope of mine, but you shall know directly—come.”
Ruth was almost running by this time, and the captain, being still far from strong, found it difficult to keep up with her.
“This way, down here,” she cried, turning a corner.
“What, this way?” exclaimed the captain in amazement.
“Yes, why not?” said Ruth, reflecting some of his surprise as she looked up in his face.
“Why—why, because this is the very Row I wanted to bring you to!”
“That is strange—but—but never mind just now; you’ll explain afterwards. Come along.”
Poor Ruth was too much excited to attend to any other business but that on which her heart was set just then; and fear lest her latest castle should prove to have no foundations and should fall like so many others in ruins at her feet, caused her to tremble.
“Here is the door,” she said at last, coming to a sudden halt before widow Bright’s dwelling, and pressing both hands on her palpitating heart to keep it still.
“Wonders will never cease!” exclaimed the captain. “This is the very door to which I intended to bring you.”