Now, he realized that this was a perfectly insane conversation, but for
the life of him, he couldn't help it. Prudence was so alluring, and
the sky was so warmly blue, the sunshine so mild and hazy, and the
roadside so gloriously gay with colors! Who could have sense on such a
day, with such a girl as this?

"Oh, I do like you very much indeed," declared Prudence. "It's a big
relief, too, for I didn't expect to--oh, I beg your pardon again,
but--well, I was scared when Fairy told me how remarkable you are. I
didn't want to disgrace the parsonage, and I knew I would. But--why,
the reason I do not want you to fall in love with me,--that's very
different from being fond of me, I do want you to be that,--but when
people fall in love, they get married. I'm not going to get married,
so it would be silly to fall in love, wouldn't it?"

He laughed heartily at the matter-of-factness with which this
nineteen-year-old girl disposed of love and marriage. "Why aren't you
going to be married?" he inquired, foolishly happy, and showing more
foolishness than happiness, just as we all do on such occasions.

"Well, it will be ten or eleven years before Connie is fairly raised."

"Yes, but you won't be a Methuselah, in eleven years," he smiled.

"No, but you forget father."

"Forget father! Are you raising him, too?"

"No, I'm not raising him, but I'm managing him." But when he laughed,