dazzled by the title--maybe even unconsciously, you being English--and

that you might be deceiving yourself in thinking you loved only me, and

find you didn't love me when the deception was swept away; so it makes me

proud that the revelation stands for nothing and that you do love just

me, only me--oh, prouder than any words can tell!"

"It is only you, sweetheart, I never gave one envying glance toward your

father's earldom. That is utterly true, dear Gwendolen."

"There--you mustn't call me that. I hate that false name. I told you it

wasn't mine. My name is Sally Sellers--or Sarah, if you like. From this

time I banish dreams, visions, imaginings, and will no more of them.

I am going to be myself--my genuine self, my honest self, my natural

self, clear and clean of sham and folly and fraud, and worthy of you.

There is no grain of social inequality between us; I, like you, am poor;

I, like you, am without position or distinction; you are a struggling

artist, I am that, too, in my humbler way. Our bread is honest bread,

we work for our living. Hand in hand we will walk hence to the grave,

helping each other in all ways, living for each other, being and

remaining one in heart and purpose, one in hope and aspiration,

inseparable to the end. And though our place is low, judged by the

world's eye, we will make it as high as the highest in the great

essentials of honest work for what we eat and wear, and conduct above

reproach. We live in a land, let us be thankful, where this is

all-sufficient, and no man is better than his neighbor by the grace

of God, but only by his own merit."

249

The American Claimant