"This is my last night in it," she answered. "I shall never live in a place where there are only women again!" She paused for a moment, and then, with a sigh of relief, added, "Thank Goodness!"
III
On the following morning they were married; and in the evening they went to Ireland for their honeymoon. They were to go to Dublin for a week, and then up to Ballyards for a fortnight. Eleanor had proposed that Mrs. MacDermott should cross to Ireland with them, but she shook her head and smiled. "I'm foolish enough," she said, "but I'm not as foolish as all that. You'll want to be by yourselves, my dear!"
"I'll see your mother safely off from Euston," Hinde said, "when she makes up her mind to go!"
They spent the day quietly together until the time came for Eleanor and John to go to the railway station. Mrs. MacDermott took him out of the room. "I want to have a wee talk with you," she said in explanation.
"Here," she said, putting an envelope into his hand. "That's a wedding present for you from me!..."
"But you've given me one already," he interrupted.
"Oh, aye, that was just an ordinary one, but this is the one that matters. It'll be useful to you sometime!"
He opened the envelope, and inside it were ten notes for ten pounds each. "Ma!" he said.
"Now, now, never mention it," she exclaimed hurriedly. "What does an old woman like me want with money when there's two young ones in need of it. It'll help to keep you going till you're earning!"