"I thought you were going to be different from other women," he said curtly. "Well, what is it you want, diamonds?"
"Diamonds!" She echoed the word blankly. "Oh, no, I was wondering if I could take mother away from Poplar, and send the twins to a nice school. They have to go to the Board School now," she explained. "If I can do that for them, I shan't want anything for myself." She raised apologetic eyes. "It's asking an awful lot, I know," she added.
The Beggar Man laid his hand for a moment on hers. Such a strong, kind hand it was, that instinctively the fear of him that had been in Faith's heart died away.
"It's not asking anything," he said. "We'll send the twins to the finest school in England if you like, and your mother can have a house in the country and anything else she wants—if you'll marry me!"
Faith's cheeks were crimson; her eyes on fire. It never occurred to her for a moment to refuse.
She looked up at him with brown eyes of gratitude unutterable. "I should just love to marry you," she said fervently.
The Beggar Man said "Humph!" For a moment there was a silence, during which he looked at her doubtfully; then:
"What about your mother?" he asked abruptly. "What do you think she will say?"
Faith's face fell a little; in her eagerness and excitement she had forgotten what her mother would say.
"I—I'm afraid she won't quite like it," she said slowly.