This annoyed John, and after his visits to David’s house he was perhaps unnecessarily eloquent concerning the happiness of the young people.  Jenny received all such information with a dissenting silence.  She always spoke of Isabel as “Mistress David,” and when John reminded her that David’s wife was “Mistress Callendar,” she said, “It was weel kent that there were plenty o’ folk called Callendar that werna Callendars for a’ that.”  And it soon became evident to her womanly keen-sightedness that John did not always return from his visits to David and Isabel in the most happy of humors.  He was frequently too silent and thoughtful for a perfectly satisfied man; but whatever his fears were, he kept them in his own bosom.  They were evidently as yet so light that hope frequently banished them altogether; and when at length David had a son and called it after his uncle, the old man enjoyed a real springtime of renewed youth and pleasure.  Jenny was partly reconciled also, for the happy parents treated her with special attention, and she began to feel that perhaps David’s marriage might turn out better than she had looked for.

Two years after this event Deacon Strang became reconciled to his daughter, and as a proof of it gave her a large mansion situated in the rapidly-growing “West End.”  It had come into his possession at a bargain in some of the mysterious ways of his trade; but it was, by the very reason of its great size, quite unsuitable for a young manufacturer like David.  Indeed, it proved to be a most unfortunate gift in many ways.

“It will cost L5,000 to furnish it,” said John fretfully, “and that Davie can ill afford—­few men could; but Isabel has set her heart on it.”

“And she’ll hae her will, deacon.  Ye could put L5,000 in the business though, or ye could furnish for them.”

“My way o’ furnishing wouldna suit them; and as for putting back money that David is set on wasting, I’ll no do it.  It is a poor well, Jenny, into which you must put water.  If David’s business wont stand his drafts on it, the sooner he finds it out the better.”

So the fine house was finely furnished; but that was only the beginning of expenses.  Isabel now wanted dress to suit her new surroundings, and servants to keep the numerous rooms clean.  Then she wanted all her friends and acquaintances to see her splendid belongings, so that erelong David found his home turned into a fashionable gathering-place.  Lunches, dinners, and balls followed each other quickly, and the result of all this visiting was that Isabel had long lists of calls to make every day, and that she finally persuaded David that it would be cheaper to buy their own carriage than to pay so much hire to livery-stables.