Tom laughed immoderately, and, passing his arm around her as they went down the stairs, he said: 

’Of course you don’t like her.  Who ever did like her mother-in-law?  But you are marrying me, not my mother, so don’t cry, petite.’

Tom was making an effort to be very kind, and even lover-like to his fiancee, who was easily comforted, and who, on her return to Le Bateau told her father plainly that the party must be given up, as it would be sadly out of place and deeply offend the Tracys.  Very unwillingly Peterkin gave it up, and sent word to that effect to Mrs. Rossiter-Browne, who had already been apprised of the coming event and was having a wonderful gown made for the occasion.

‘I find,’ he wrote, ’that it wouldn’t be at all rachelshay to have a blow out whilst the family is in deep black; but when they git into lavender, and the young folks is home from their tower, I’ll have a tearer.’

Peterkin tried two or three times to see Mrs. Tracy, but she put him off with one excuse after another, until Tom took the matter in hand and told her she was acting like a fool and putting on quite too many airs.  Then she appointed an interview, and, bracing herself with a tonic, went down to the darkened, cheerless room, and by her manner so managed to impress him with her superiority over him and his that he forgot entirely the speech he had prepared with infinite pains, and which had in it a good deal about family bonds, and family units, and Aaron’s beard, and brotherly love.  This he had rehearsed many times to May Jane, with wonderful gestures and flourishes; ‘but, I’ll be bumped’ he said to her on his return from the Park House, ’if I didn’t forget every blessed word, she was so high and mighty.  Lord! as if I didn’t know what she sprung from; but that’s the way with them as was born to nothin’.  May Jane, if I ever catch you puttin’ on airs ’cause you’re a Peterkin, I b’lieve I’ll kill you!’

After this, anything like familiar intercourse ceased between the heads of the two families until the morning after Christmas day, when Frank and Dolly drove over to Le Bateau, where were assembled the same people who had been present at Jerrie’s wedding, and where Peterkin insisted upon darkening the rooms and lighting the gas, as something a little out of the usual order of things in Shannondale.  Peterkin was very happy, and very proud of this alliance with the Tracy, and his pride and happiness shone in his face all through the ceremony; and when the clergyman asked, ‘Who giveth this woman to be married to this man?’ his manner was something grand to see as he stepped forward and responded, ‘I do, sir,’ in a voice so loud and full of importance that Dolly involuntarily groaned, while Tom found it hard to refrain from laughing.