“Very likely; that was what the doctor called it. He said it was a very common complaint in England—like the rheumatism here, I suppose. What my poor grandfather suffered from rheumatism the last forty years of his life is incredible; but he walked about and lived all the same to be past ninety years of age—and celebrated his golden wedding too!” “His golden what?” “Wedding. Perhaps you have no golden or silver wedding in England?” “I confess I never heard of anything of the kind,” said Hamilton. “Oh, the silver wedding is only on the twenty-fifth anniversary, and most people can celebrate that; but to be fifty years married, and to have a golden wedding, is a sort of event in a family. Though but a boy at the time, I shall never forget that day. This house was quite covered with garlands, and all the neighbours from far and near were assembled; and my grandfather and grandmother, dressed in their wedding dresses, walked in procession with music to the church, and the priest married them over again, and preached such a sermon that everyone had tears in their eyes. We had a dinner, too, at the Lion, and such dancing and singing; and in the evening there was no end to the noise and shouting when they drove off together for the second time as bride and bridegroom!” “How I should like to see such a wedding! Is there no chance of one now in the neighbourhood?” “Not that I know of. It is a rare thing, for generally a year or two before the fifty years are at an end one or the other dies. The very wish to live it out, carries the old people off, I believe.” “Do people marry early here?” “Not often, for they must get the consent of the parish, and prove that they can support a family. I was past forty before my father resigned the house and land to me.” “So he gave it to you during his lifetime? Is that often done?” “Very often. I was to pay him a pension, and he intended to remove to the town; but he could not leave the place, and so we all lived together until his death. My mother is still alive. You may have seen her on the alp: she is always wandering about there.” “Was your father obliged to ask the consent of your landlord when he resigned?” “He was obliged to get the consent of government, and I had to pay the usual fine of five per cent. of the value of my house and ground.” “Then you have no lease?” “Lease? No, we have no lease.” “And your land is hereditary in your family?” “Yes; we have the usual taxes to pay, and we have fines in cases of death, succession, or exchange of land.” “Could you sell your property if you wished it?” “No doubt—if I obtained the consent of government; but who would sell their land and be without house or home?” “I suppose it is always the eldest son who inherits?” “No; we can make whichever child we please our heir; but we generally choose the eldest son, who pays the other children what is left them by will.”