“Of course Joy will stay with us till then--Athlyne.” Mrs. Ogilvie spoke the last word with a pause; it was the first time she had used his name. “Not ‘of course.’” he answered. “She is the head of her house now and must be free to do as she please. But I am sure she will like to come to you.” Joy made a protesting “_moue_” at him as she said: “Of course I’d like to be with Mother and Daddy, and Judy--if I--if I am not to be with you--Oh, darling! you’re hurting me. You’re so frightfully strong!” Breakfast being over, the party broke up and moved about the room. Joy was sitting on the sofa with her Mother when Mrs. O’Brien came sidling up by the wall. When she got close she curtsied and said: “Won’t ye tell me now, me Lady, if I’m to be the wan to nurse yer childher?” “Oh dear! But Mrs. O’Brien, I said only yesterday that I’d tell you that some other time. You _are_ previous!--Didn’t you hear that I am to be married on Thursday. Later on …” “No time like the prisint, me Lady. It was yistherday ye shpoke; an to-day’s to-day. Mayn’t I nurse yer ch …” “Tell her, dear--” her Mother had begun, when Judy joined the group. “What’s all this about? Whose children are you talking of?” began the merry spinster. But her sister cut her short: “Never you mind, Judy! You just go and sit down and try and get accustomed to silence so as to be ready to keep your Sheriff out of an asylum.” Athlyne, too, with ears preternaturally sharp on Joy’s account, had heard something of the conversation. Looking over at his wife, he saw her face divinely rosy, and with a troubled, hunted look in her eyes. He too instantly waded into the fray. “I say, let her alone you all! I hope they’re not teasing you darling?” Joy, fearing that something unpleasant might be said, on one side or the other, made haste to reassure him. Then she closed his mouth in the very best way that a young wife can do--the way that seems to take his feet from earth and to raise him to heaven. THE END TRANSCRIBER’S NOTES. Inconsistencies of the author that have been preserved: Missing commas from some direct addresses and quoted passages. Capitalization of he/him when referring to Lord Athlyne. Spelling and hyphenization of some words (_e.g._ cross-roads/cross roads, doorway/door-way, Lake Country/Lake County, etc.). Alterations to the text: Minor punctuation fixes (missing periods, improperly paired quotation marks, etc.). [Chapter I] Change “on the _nothern_ shore of Lake Superior” to _northern_. “We may be Americans; but _we’ve_ not to be played for suckers” to _we’re_. [Chapter II] “Judy’s insight or _prophesy_ was being realised” to _prophecy_. (_prophesy_ is a verb and thus doesn’t make sense). [Chapter IV] “without names or _indentification_ marks” to _identification_. [Chapter V] “she sank _sensless_ to the ground” to _senseless_. “When he saw that _he_ was only fainting” to _she_. (It was Joy who fainted, not a male character.) [Chapter VI]