“Oh, I’m not greedy. One must leave a few for other people.”

“If Aunt Barbara heard you!” said Pat, as she tucked a bag of dried lavender into Rae’s trunk…lavender from the Silver Bush garden to sweeten sheets in China.

“But she doesn’t. I don’t say these things to anybody but you. We’ve been such chums, haven’t we, Pat? We’ve laughed and cried together…we’re friends as well as sisters…only for those horrid weeks we never really spoke to each other. That’s the memory I’m ashamed of. But I’ve so many beautiful memories…of home and you and mother and Judy. They’ll always light life like a lamp. Can you quote that verse we found the other night and thought so lovely?”

“‘What Love anticipates may die in flower,

What Love possesses may be thine an hour,

But redly gleams in Life’s unlit Decembers

What Love remembers!”

“It’s true, isn’t it, dear? We’ll always have our lovely memories even in our ‘late Decembers.’ Oh, I’m going to miss you all. I’ll often be hungry for Silver Bush. Don’t think I don’t feel leaving it and you all, Pat. I do. But…but…”

“There’s Brook Hamilton,” smiled Pat.

“Yes.” Rae was very thoughtful. “But the old life I’m leaving will always be very dear to me. And you’ve been the dearest sister.”

“Just don’t,” said Pat. “You’ll have me breaking down and howling. I’ve made up my mind I won’t spoil your wedding with tears.”

“And please, darling, don’t cry after I’m gone. I can’t bear to think of you here, in tears, after I’m gone.”

“I’ll likely have a little weep,” said Pat frankly. “I don’t think I can escape that. But I never give way to despair as I used to long ago. Rae, I’ve learned to accept change even though I can never help dreading it…never can understand people who actually seem to like it. There’s Lily calling you for your last fitting.”

The day before the wedding there was hope at Silver Bush that Mrs. Binnie wouldn’t be able to come after all. Her first cousin, old Samuel Cobbledick, had died and the funeral was to be an hour before the time fixed for the ceremony.

“It’s a real apostrophe to have him dying at this particular time,” Mrs. Binnie grumbled to May. “He’s been suffering from general ability for years but he needn’t of died till after the wedding. He was always a very tiresome man. It was an infernal hemmeridge finished him off. I’m awful disappointed. I’d set my heart on seeing darling Rae married.”