Every note and every word was full of passionate spiritual desire and tender aspiration, and the music was as if her guardian angel joined her in it. The doctor was entranced, and Mrs. Robertson rose and was standing by the singer's side when she ceased. "O, my dear, my dear!" she said, "you have gone straight to my heart." A long and delightful conversation followed; then Ducie set an exquisite little service, and gave the company tea and cake and sweetmeats, and the visit did not terminate for nearly another hour. Mrs. Campbell was in a transport of anger. "I was never even asked after," she complained to her son, "and Dora kept them all of two hours--such ignorance of social customs--and I could hear them talking and singing like a crowd of daffing young people." "You ought to have joined them, mother." "I ought to have been asked to do so, but I was quite neglected." A few minutes later Robert said to his wife: "Why did you not send for mother when the minister called?" "Mother was not asked for, and whenever I do send for her she makes a point of refusing, often very rudely, and I did not wish Dr. Robertson to be refused in our parlor." "Who was mother rude to? It is not her way." "To Mrs. Oliphant for one, and there were others." "She does not approve of Mrs. Oliphant." "I did not know whether she approved of Dr. and Mrs. Robertson. I like them very much. The doctor was very happy, and Mrs. Robertson told me 'I had gone straight to her heart.'" "Such extravagance of speech! But she is Irish, and the Irish must exaggerate. They are a most untruthful race." "They are an affectionate race, and what is the good of loving people, if you do not tell them so? They might as well be without such love." "Do not be foolish, Dora." "Is that foolishness?" "Yes." "Then once you were very foolish. I have not forgotten the time, when you continually told me how dearly you loved me. I was very happy then." He turned and looked at her, and her beauty conquered him. He took her to his heart, and said: "I do love you, Dora. Yes, I do love you!" And then she grew radiant, and joy transfigured her face, and they went in to dinner together like lovers. A little later when Dr. Robertson and his wife were sitting alone they began to talk of Theodora. "She has a great heart," said Mrs. Robertson, "and more's the pity." "Yes, Kate, more's the pity, if she loves Robert Campbell; for it's small love she will get in return. Like ivy on a stone wall, she will obtain only a rigid and niggardly support, and even for that must go searching all round with humble embraces." "You may take back your last two words, Angus. Yonder woman will stand level with her husband, or not stand with him at all. She would scorn your humble embraces." "I fear she is in trouble already. There were tears in her voice as she sang." "It would have melted the heart of a stone. Trouble? Certainly. How can she live with those three amazing women, and be out of trouble?"