"I know not how to alter that. A good wife must do some little thing these hard times; for what is to come after them, who knows—and there are many boys and girls—but I am not discontented; I like to look at the bright side, and that is right, is it not?"
Semple had already turned away, and he only struck his cane on the flagged walk in answer. For while Joanna was speaking he had casually noticed the fluttering red ribbon above her head; and it had brought from the past a memory, unbidden and unexpected, which filled his eyes with the thin, cold tears of age, and made his heart tremble with a fear he would not allow himself to entertain.
He was so troubled that he had to consciously gather his forces together before he entered his own dwelling. It, at least, kept visible state and order; the garden, perhaps, showed less variety and wealth of flowers; but the quiet dignity of its handsomely furnished rooms was intact. In their usual parlor, which was at the back of the house, he found his wife. "You are late to-day, Alexander," she said pleasantly; "I was just waiting till I heard your footstep. Now I can make the tea."
"I'll be glad o' a cup, Janet. I'm fairly tired, my dearie."
"What kept you so far ahint your ordinar time? I thought it long waiting for you."
"Twa or three things kept me, that I am not accountable for. I was on the way hame, when Batavius De Vries spoke to me."
"He's back again, is he? Few words would do between you and him."
"He brought me a letter from our lad in Boston; and I thought I would go into the King's Arms and read it."
"You might have come hame."
"I might; but I thought if there was any bad news folded in the paper, I would just leave it outside our hame."