The cup that old Mary saw in the tea leaves seemed something more than "blether" when it was noised abroad that Anna and Jamie were to be married.
The Gilmores strenuously objected. They objected because they had another career mapped out for Anna. Jamie was illiterate, too, and she was well educated. He was a Protestant and she an ardent Catholic. Illiteracy was common enough and might be overlooked, but a mixed marriage was unthinkable.
The Irvines, on the other hand, although very poor, could see nothing but disaster in marriage with a Catholic, even though she was as "pure and beautiful as the Virgin."
"It's a shame an' a scandal," others said, "that a young fella who can't read his own name shud marry sich a nice girl wi' sich larnin'."
Jamie made some defense but it wasn't convincing.
"Doesn't the Bible say maan an' wife are wan?" he asked Mrs. Gilmore in discussing the question with her.
"Aye."
"Well, when Anna an' me are wan won't she haave a thrade an' won't I haave an education?"
"That's wan way ov lukin' at a vexed question, but you're th' only wan that luks at it that way!"
"There's two," Anna said. "That's how I see it."