Mr. Breen!  She would never forgive you.  ‘My friend, Mr. Cohen,’ you would have to say, and she could do nothing.  She must answer that she is most glad to see me—­or she might not answer, which would be worse.  And it is not her fault.  You can’t break down the barriers of centuries in a day.  No—­no—­I will not compromise you in that way.  Let me come to see you some time when it is all over, when your good uncle can come too.  He will bring me; perhaps.  And now give my best respects to the lady—­I forget her name, and say to her for me, that if she is as thoughtful of other people as you are, you deserve to be a very happy couple.”

Jack shook the little man’s hand and went his way.  He was sorry and he was glad.  He was also somewhat ashamed in his heart.  It was not altogether himself who had been thoughtful of other people.  But for Peter, perhaps, he might never have paid the visit.

As the blissful day approached Geneseo was shaken to its centre, the vibrations reaching to the extreme limits of the town.  Not only was Moggins who drove the village ’bus and tucked small packages under the seat on the sly, overworked, but all the regular and irregular express companies had to put on extra teams.  Big box, little box, band box, bundle, began to pour in, to say nothing of precious packages that nobody but “Miss Grayson” could sign for.  And then such a litter of cut paper and such mounds of pasteboard boxes poked under Miss Felicia’s bed, so she could defend them in the dead of night, and with her life if necessary, each one containing presents, big and little; the very biggest being a flamboyant service of silver from the head of the house of Breen and his wife, and the smallest a velvet-bound prayer-book from Aunt Kate with inter-remembrances from MacFarlane (all the linen, glass, and china); from Peter (two old decanters with silver coasters); from Miss Felicia (the rest of her laces, besides innumerable fans and some bits of rare jewelry); besides no end of things from the Holker Morrises and the Fosters and dozens of others, who loved either Ruth or Jack, or somebody whom each one or both of them loved, or perhaps their fathers and mothers before them.  The Scribe has forgotten the list and the donors, and really it is of no value, except as confirmation of the fact that they are still in the possession of the couple, and that none of them was ever exchanged for something else nor will be until the end of time.

One curious-looking box, however, smelling of sandalwood and dried cinnamon, and which arrived the day the ceremony took place, is worthy of recall, because of the universal interest which it excited.  It was marked “Fragile” on the outside, and was packed with extraordinary care.  Miss Felicia superintended the unrolling and led the chorus of “Oh, how lovely!” herself, when an Imari jar, with carved teakwood stand, was brought to light.  So exquisite was it in glaze, form, and color that