and followed and closed
the whole ceremonial. About twenty returned with the bridal party to
the Ragnor House to eat the bridal dinner, but the general townsfolk
were to have their feast and dance in the Town Hall about seven in the
evening. The Bishop stayed only to bless the meal, for the boat was
waiting that was to carry him to a Convocation of the Church then
sitting in Edinburgh. But he wore his sprig of rosemary on his vest,
and he stood at Ragnor's right hand and watched him mix the Bride
Cup, watched him mingle in one large silver bowl of pre-Christian age
the pale, delicious sherry and fine sugar and spices and stir the
whole with a strip of rosemary. Then every guest stood up and was
served with a cup, most of them having in their hand a strip of
rosemary to stir it with. And after the Bishop had blessed the bride
and blessed the bridegroom, he said, "I will quote for you a passage
from an old sermon and after it, you will stir your cup again with
rosemary and grow it still more plentifully in your gardens.

"The rosemary is for married men and man challengeth it, as belonging
properly to himself. It helpeth the brain, strengtheneth the memory,
and affects kindly the heart. Let this flower of man ensign your
wisdom, love and loyalty, and carry it, not only in your hands, but in
your heads and hearts." Then he lifted his glass and stirred the wine
with his strip of rosemary, and as he did so all followed his example,
while he repeated from an old romance the following lines:

... "Before we divide,
Let us dip our rosemaries
In one rich bowl of wine, to this brave girl
And to the gentleman."

With these words he departed, and the utmost and happiest interchange
of all kinds of good fellowship followed. Every man and woman was at
perfect ease and ready to give of the best they had. Even Adam Vedder
delighted all, and especially his happy-looking bride, by his clever
condensation of Sunna's favourite story of "The Banded Men." No
finished actor could have made it, in its own way, a finer model of
dramatic narrative, especially in its quaint reversal of the parts
usually played by father and son, into those of the prodigal father
and the money-loving, prudent son. Then a little whisper went round
the table and it sprang from Sunna, and people smiled and remembered
that Adam had won his wife from three younger men than himself and, as
if by a single, solid impulse, they stirred their wine cups once more