'Yes,' he went on gravely; 'you may trust my mother to bediscreetly attending to her domestic duties; she is a great woman,my mother.'

I had no doubt of it, for at that moment she came out to us withlittle Marjorie inside her arms.

'You have shown Mrs. Mavor to her room, mother, I hope,' saidGraeme; but she only smiled and said--

'Run away with your mules, you silly kid,' at which he solemnlyshook his head. 'Ah, mother, you are very deep--who would have thoughtit of you?'

That night the manse overflowed with joy, and the days thatfollowed were like dreams set to sweet music.

But for sheer wild delight, nothing in my memory can very come upto the demonstration organised by Graeme, with assistance fromNixon, Shaw, Sandy, Abe, Geordie, and Baptiste, in honour of thearrival in camp of Mr. and Mrs. Craig. And, in my opinion, itadded something to the occasion, that after all the cheers for Mr.and Mrs. Craig had died away, and after all the hats had come down,Baptiste, whom had never taken his eyes from that radiant face,should suddenly have swept the crowd into a perfect storm of cheersby excitedly seizing his tuque, and calling out inside his shrillvoice--

'By gar! Tree cheer for Mrs. Mavor.'