, of
having been upset and shaken. The young man was still fumbling himself
for light upon these mysteries, when they were dispelled by a shock
that for the moment stunned him.

Mr Pennycuick called for a certain brand of wine long famous at his
board. When it came, and the bottles were being sent round, he stood
up, with a trembling goblet in his hand. The eyes round the table
dropped--all but Guthrie's, which stared at the old man.

"There's no time like the present," began the host, "if a thing has to
be done." He repeated this strange and embarrassing introductory
remark, and then spent some time in clearing his throat and blowing his
nose, and trying to wipe up the wine he was shaking over. When the
fidgets had seized upon the whole company, he rushed his fence. "Ahem!
I must ask you, my friends, to fill your glasses in honour of an
event--an event--that has just transpired in our midst--that--that I am
sure will interest you all--that--in short, my dear daughter
Deborah--and the man of her choice--who knows, I hope, what a lucky dog
he is--"

"He does!" Claud interjected; and there was eager dumb-show all round
the table, everyone--again excepting Guthrie--leaning forward to cast
wreathed smiles at the seated couple. "I have given my consent," said
Mr Pennycuick--"I have given my consent. My daughter shall be happy in
her own way--and I hope he'll see to it that she gets all she bargains
for. He is the son of my oldest friend, a man that was better than a
brother to me--the whitest, straightest--But there's no words to say
what he was. Only, the son of such a man--anybody with Billy Dalzell's
blood in him--ought to be--if he isn't--"

"He is!" sang Deb, in her rich, ringing voice. "Oh, please, don't say
any more, father!"

"Well, my dear, I know I am no hand at speech-making, but I can wish
you luck, both of you, and I do. And I want our friends here--old
friends of the family--to do the same. Good wishes mayn't bring good
fortune, but for all we know they may do something towards it; and
anyway, she may as well have all her chances. Ladies and gentlemen,
long life and happiness to Deborah Pennycuick and her husband that is
to be!"

A general turmoil broke out, glass-clinkings, cheers, handshakings;
kissings, with a sob or two from the overwrought. And Guthrie, with no
heart upon his sleeve, bowed and drank with the rest. When the
demonstration was over, and the company back in its chairs, Dalzell was
lef