She was sure that her mother would not like it. Mrs. Ledley had always been so careful about Faith's choice of friends that the girl knew what an astonishing proposal she would consider this offer of marriage to be.
Mrs. Ledley could be very firm when she chose, and Faith knew well what opposition she would have to encounter.
A sudden idea flashed across her mind.
"But we need not tell her, need we?"
A faint smile crossed his face.
"You mean till we are married?"
"Yes."
There was another queer little silence, then the Beggar Man asked, with sudden change of voice: "Do you often keep things from your mother—like this?"
She shook her head.
"I never have, until now. There's never been anything to keep. Nobody has ever asked me to marry him before, but I thought—she would be so glad afterwards, when I told her how rich you were, and what we could do for her and for the twins."