He had never been there since the night when he had rescued Lilith , but now he rushed to it in his new agony . His aunt 's horrible practicalities had filled him with disgust -- they dragged his love in the dust of sordid things . And Lilith was rich ; he had never known that -- never suspected it . He could never ask her to marry him now ; he must never see her again . For the second time he had lost her , and this second losing could not be borne . He sat down on the big boulder by the grave and dropped his poor grey face in his hands , moaning in anguish . Nothing was left him , not even dreams . He hoped he could soon die . He did not know how long he sat there -- he did not know when she came . But when he lifted his miserable eyes , he saw her , sitting just a little way from him on the big stone and looking at him with something in her face that made his heart beat madly . He forgot Aunt Catherine 's sacrilege -- he forgot that he was a presumptuous fool . He bent forward and kissed her lips for the first time . The wonder of it loosed his bound tongue . `` Lilith , '' he gasped , `` I love you . '' She put her hand into his and nestled closer to him . `` I thought you would have told me that long ago , '' she said . Uncle Richard 's New Year 's Dinner Prissy Baker was in Oscar Miller 's store New Year 's morning , buying matches -- for New Year 's was not kept as a business holiday in Quincy -- when her uncle , Richard Baker , came in . He did not look at Prissy , nor did she wish him a happy New Year ; she would not have dared . Uncle Richard had not been on speaking terms with her or her father , his only brother , for eight years . He was a big , ruddy , prosperous-looking man -- an uncle to be proud of , Prissy thought wistfully , if only he were like other people 's uncles , or , indeed , like what he used to be himself .
He was the only uncle Prissy had , and when she had been a little girl they had been great friends ; but that was before the quarrel , in which Prissy had had no share , XXXXX be sure , although Uncle Richard seemed to include her in his rancour .
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