“Yes, and Janet, you are not to think me altogether unthankful. Forget all the discontented foolish things I have said. God has been very good to us all.”
“Yes, love, and you must take heart, and trust Him. And you must watch over your sister, your sisters, I should say. And Rose, dear, you are never to go against your sister’s judgment in anything. And my bairns, dinna let the pleasant life you are living make you forget another life. God be with you.”
Mr Snow and Will made a screen between them and the crowd, and Janet kissed and blessed them with a full heart. There were only a few confused moments after that, and then the girls stood on the platform, smiling and waving their hands to their friends, as the train moved off. And then Graeme caught a glimpse of the lovely pale face of Lilias Ruthven, as she smiled, and bowed, and held up her baby in her arms; and she felt as if that farewell was more for her, than any of the many friends who were watching them as they went away. And then they turned to go home. There was a crowd in the boat still, in the midst of which the rest sat and amused themselves, during the few minutes sail to the other side. But Graeme stood looking away from them all, and from the city and crowded wharf to which they were drawing near. Her eyes were turned to the far horizon toward which the great river flowed, and she was saying to herself,—
“I will take heart and trust Him, as Janet said. He has been good to us all I will not be afraid even of the days that look so dull and profitless to me. God will accept the little I can do, and I will be content.”
Will and Charlie Millar left them, after they had passed through a street or two.
“We might just as well have gone to Merleville with them, for all the difference in the time,” said Rose.
“But then our preparations would have interfered with our enjoyment of Janet’s visit, and with her enjoyment, too. It was a much better way for us to wait.”
“Yes. And for some things it will be better to be there after the wedding, rather than before. But I don’t at all like going back to an empty house. I don’t like people going away.”
“But people must go away, dear, if they come; and a quiet time will be good for us both, before we go away,” said Graeme.
But the quiet was not for that day. On that day, two unexpected events occurred. That is, one of them was unexpected to Graeme, and the other was unexpected to all the rest. Mr Green proposed that Miss Elliott should accompany him on his contemplated European tour; and Mrs Tilman’s time of service came to a sudden end.