Ruby's Reward — page 122: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

| % You have saved me’ Ruby at length breathed, fxr white lips scarcely equal to ‘dhe effort: of franving the words, while she lifted’ her grateful eyes to his. “(hy my darling, if f had not saved you!” he began, byt his voice quivered and broke at the sense of desolation that swept over him with the thought of what his future would have been if she had now been lying, bleeding anc mangled, in that cavern below. For a minute longer they stood, eye look- ing into eye, while thet souls seemed to say that henceforth they would belong to each other; though, oven in that sapreme momont, Walter said to himeelf that no word of his should tempt her to seal her gratitude with any impetuous pledge. He was conscious that ho hud grown to love her as a man Joves only onve in his life ; but he resolved that he would win her by the powor of that love alone. He would not be guilty of taking advantage of hor present weakness, or sense of obligation to him, to surprise any confession from her ; and yet she was clinging to-him with sach an eager, convulsive hold, that he: cowlel hardly resist folding her to his heart and soothing her with the fond words that were ready to burst ‘from his lips, and’ were only restrained by the power of his: strong | will. “Come,” he said, as he felt how she was: still trembling, ‘let us go down from here, or would you prefer to rest awhile before making the attempt ?” ‘Ye3 ; I must sit down for a few minutes. I am so weak that I cannot walk,” she whispered, and leaning so heavily wpon him that he feared she was goingetodaitzom