"Absolutely so!" he answered. "My vow was taken in ignorance, and because I was misled to believe that the Law of God required priests to live a single life. Now I find that not only is there no such law, but that St. Peter himself was married, and carried his wife with him on his apostolic journeys, as did St. James and the brethren of the Lord, and that St. Paul expressly asserts his right to do the same if he chooses. * And I can not bring myself to believe that the state of life chosen by the Holy Spirit as an emblem of the union between the Lord and his church can be of itself unholy. But how is it with yourself, my dear one?"
* Farrar argues very plausibly that St. Paul was probably a widower.
"Oh, I settled the matter long ago!" I answered, incautiously, and then covered my face with my hands, overwhelmed with confusion as I thought of the admission I had made.
"Why, then all is well!" said Walter. "And with your good leave, I will tell your uncle that you are not disinclined to take command of the parsonage and its master."
"And how think you Mistress Jennings will like to have a young lady put over her?" I asked.
"If she be not pleased, she hath an easy remedy—she can retire!" said Walter. "But I think not we shall have any trouble with her."
There was no reason for delay, since every body was pleased with the match.
True, I had not a tithe of the body and house linen considered indispensable for every bride in Holland. But, as I said, the Van Alstine family had kindly adopted me for a kinswoman from the first, and they now came forward with the most munificent presents from their abundant stores. (It grieves me to the heart even now to think how much of my setting out I had to leave behind me.) Such towels and sheets, such table-cloths and napkins, such treasures of old lace and embroidered counterpanes! Every good mother in Holland, as soon as a girl is born to her, begins to prepare these things for her wedding, and by the time the child is old enough to be married, she has linen enough to last her lifetime.
Garrett and Avice would give me my wedding dresses, and my uncle refurnished the house from top to bottom. Arthur and Kate came from Middleburg, and Arthur married us.
Contrary to Walter's expectation, Mistress Jennings took his marriage exceedingly ill, and abdicated at once, saying she would have no fine young lady set over her head. I was not at all sorry. When she found her retirement made no such sensation as she expected, she offered very condescendingly to remain and put the new mistress in the way of managing her household.