“And if ever the time comes,” said Lavender lightly, “when I prove myself such a fool, I hope I shall remember that a millstone can be bought in Victoria road and that Chelsea Bridge is handy.”

“All right:  I’m going to sleep.”

For some time after Ingram was permitted to rest in peace, and it was not until they had reached some big station or other toward morning that he woke.  Lavender had never closed his eyes.

“Haven’t you been asleep?”

“No.”

“What’s the matter now?”

“My aunt.”

“You seem to have acquired a trick recently of looking at all the difficulties of your position at once.  Why don’t you take them singly?  You’ve just got rid of Mackenzie’s opposition:  that might have contented you for a while.”

“I think the best plan will be to say nothing of this to my aunt at present.  I think we ought to get married first, and when I take Sheila to see her as my wife, what can she say then?”

“But what is Sheila likely to say before then?  And Sheila’s father?  You must be out of your mind!”

“There will be a pretty scene, then, when I tell her.”

“Scenes don’t hurt anybody, unless when they end in brickbats or decanters.  Your aunt must know you would marry some day.”

“Yes, but you know whom she wished me to marry.”

“That is nothing.  Every old lady has a fancy for imagining possible marriages; but your aunt is a reasonable woman, and could not possibly object to your marrying a girl like Sheila?”

“Oh, couldn’t she?  Then you don’t know her:  ’Frank, my dear, what are the arms borne by your wife’s family?’ ’My dear aunt, I will describe them to you as becomes a dutiful nephew.  The arms are quarterly:  first and fourth, vert, a herring, argent; second and third, azure, a solan-goose, volant, or.  The crest, out of a crown vallery, argent, a cask of whisky, gules.  Supporters, dexter, a gillie; sinister, a fisherman.’”

“And a very good coat-of-arms, too.  You might add the motto Ultimus regum.  Or Atavis editus regibus.  Or Tyrrhena regum progenies.  To think that your aunt would forbid your wedding a king’s daughter!”

“I should wed the king’s daughter, aunt or no aunt, in any case; but, you see, it would be uncommonly awkward, just as old Mackenzie would want to know something more particular about my circumstances; and he might ask for references to the old lady herself, just as if I were a tenant about to take a house.”

“I have given him enough references.  Go to sleep, and don’t bother yourself.”

But now Ingram felt himself just as unable as his companion to escape into unconsciousness, and so he roused himself thoroughly, and began to talk about Lewis and Borva and the Mackenzies, and the duties and responsibilities Lavender would undertake in marrying Sheila.

“Mackenzie,” he said, “will expect you to live in Stornoway at least half the year, and it will be very hard on him if you don’t.”