How simple it all seemed after all! Delightful. And so full both of common sense and piety! Mabel was almost melting in her admiration of each point; Joanna and Linnet rejoiced silently in their different degrees; Georgie looked unspeakably proud and possessive of the new genius who had deigned to confer himself on her family. Juley alone was doubtful and had qualms. But even she had to agree in a measure. Might not her doubts spring from lack of faith? She thought of the children her own eldest born was sure to bear to this man – black-eyed, curly-haired babes with the blood of Abraham in their tender bodies. And deep within her soul the old hopes stirred afresh.

Georgie’s wedding was a bourgeois but very happy affair in the drawing-room. A suitable minister had at first been something of a difficulty. Unfortunately Juley at the moment was in that particular stage of progression between two churches which debarred her from asking a favour of the pastor of either; and it had of course to be explained that the new son-in-law was not more than tolerant at present of the Christian religion. A young missionary, however, who had just arrived at home on a holiday from Constantinople, was prevailed upon to officiate, and after that all went smoothly.

Max certainly behaved beautifully. At the way he kissed Juley’s hand after the simple ceremony, Mrs. Boyd shed tears of joy: and seeing this, the bridegroom proceeded gallantly to kiss hers also, bending his long, elegant waist before her as if she were a queen. Even the laconic Linnet who gave Georgie away, had to admit that his brother-in-law was “a very decent chap, and clever, by God!”

And some at least of the schemes suggested by Max in March were being carried out in practice three months later.

By June it was actually decided that Joanna should go to London. The other changes would follow; though not – to Linnet’s mortification – at once. His mother, after many prayerful but not wholly satisfactory colloquies with Eva, had decided to stay on with him until such time as a temporary and very humble niche should be created for her by her friend’s kindness in the Lady Missionaries Training College. Linnet, she said sadly, would have long enough by himself later on. Besides for the next month or two Mabel was to be at La France Quadrant. Mabel had a year to spend in England, and she wished to devote a good part of that time to dear Aunt Juley. And Mabel had succeeded where others had failed, in coaxing Juley to hand over all the housekeeping for a few weeks at least.

VI

Before she left Joanna called on Carl Nilsson to say good bye.

Louis for some months past had been in London, and with Phemie gone, Carl was the only person in Glasgow to whom she could really speak.