With the recollections of Mr. Moses, which were much protracted, light began to wane, and certain prominent members of the party prepared to wend homewards, while yet their wild roads might be seen. All rose, and there began great hand-shaking and well-wishing, together with some laughter and some shedding of tears. Reuben broached a bottle of whisky for the men and tea was brought in for the women. All the young people had long since departed, because the entertainment from their standpoint ended with the eating. Now nearly a score of pipes began to glow, and the wedding guests set out on many roads. The adult Bowdens departed homewards, and Elias carried his wife on his arm and strove to cheer her. Her son, Drake, had unhappily intruded himself largely upon these final emotional moments, and she refused to be comforted. With a quintessential distillation of pessimism worthy of Mrs. Stanbury’s self, Sarah declared that somehow during Mr. Shillabeer’s speech it had been borne in upon her that Margaret’s firstborn would prove a failure. "Stuff and nonsense--silly woman! ’Tis your digestion," said the master of the Warren House. "I very well knowed how ’twould be when I seed you taking that sour purple muck they call claret atop of the good old-fashioned sherry. No stomach could be expected to endure one on top of t’other, and you’re fairly paid out for it." Mrs. Stanbury was very silent on the way home, but Bart and his father did the talking. Both assured Constance that the entertainment might be considered absolutely and brilliantly successful from first to last. She, however, expressed a multiplicity of doubts. "The loin of pork was done to rags, and the stuffing tasted of nought," she said. "’Tis things like that are remembered months after all that went right be quite forgotten. And I hope to God they’ve got the cottage walls dry, and that leak over the ope-way made good. When I was up there a fortnight agone to see the wall-papers, you’d never have said mortals could live in the place inside two weeks." "Madge vowed ’twas all right when I drove her over with her boxes a bit ago," declared Bart. "The house will be very vitty after they’ve lived in it a week or two." Of course, the first to leave Sheepstor were bride and bridegroom. In a trap hired from ’The Corner House’ David carried Margaret off to her home. Their possessions were already stored at ’Meavy Cot.’ Fires had been burning for a week and everything was made ready for the married pair. David’s last words were addressed to Rhoda. "Mind," he said, "a fortnight from to-day us shall be ready; and I’ll come up to Ditsworthy in my new cart for you and your box. But we all shall meet afore then, no doubt."