THE WEDDING presents had been brought to the house on Joy Street. The large gilt mirror from Aunt Tizzy was up in the hall, Uncle Nat and Aunt Peg’s silver George II coffeepot in the dining room. There was an Italian leather portfolio edged in gold from Irene Putnam, a beautiful tablecloth with lace holes in it from Jack and Jane, and from Dolly and Freddie Vernon a studded leather bellows. Mr. and Mrs. Eliot gave them the sideboard they’d promised Lilian, and Gilbert’s father contributed to the dining room with eight ribbon-backed Chippendale chairs, circa 1770. From Winn Finch and his wife, Edith, four volumes of Goldsmith with colored plates. Marian and Dickie Wiggin were extravagant with a set of yellow teacups decorated with birds. Sis and Cap Sedgwick donated a simple silver tray. Hildy made her gift herself, a bureau duster embroidered with butterflies on each end, and Arthur bought them an elaborate picnic basket, with plaid flasks and leather straps, the sort of thing one always means to but never does use.

When she returned from Scotland to the new house Lilian felt herself a new person. She was Mrs. Gilbert P. Finch. The trip had been like being in the clouds, and in coming back, she had to stop floating. Still, she’d been changed by the flight, and everything looked different.