“And now, good night, Mr. Bridegroom; you want your beauty sleep, though I must say you look considerably younger than you did two months ago.

The wedding was a bright one, involving no partings, only joy and gladness, and the sole drawback to the general rejoicings seemed to be that it was not Mrs. Brownlow herself who was returning to take possession.

But on that very afternoon came a chill on her heart.  Her own letter and Elvira’s to Janet were returned from America!  It was quite probable that the right address might have been in Elvira’s lost note, and that Janet might be easily found through the photographer.  “But,” said her mother, “I do not believe she will ever come home unless I go to fetch her.”

“The very thing I was thinking of doing,” said Jock.  “Letters will hardly find her now, and I have not settled to anything.  The dear old Doctor’s legacy will find the means.”

“And I am sure you want the rest of the voyage.  I don’t like the looks of you, my Jockey.”

“I shall be all right when this is over,” said Jock, with an endeavour at laughing; “but I find I am a greater fool than I thought I was, and I had much better be out of the way of it all till it is a fait accompli.”

“It” was of course John’s marriage.  This was the first time Jock had seen the lovers together.  In spite of vehement talking and laughing, warm greetings to everyone, and playing at every interval with the little cousins, Jock could not hide from either of the mothers that the sight cost him a good deal, all the more because the showing the Belforest haunts to Sydney had always been a favourite scheme, hitherto unfulfilled; nor was there any avoiding family consult-ations, which resulted in the fixing of the wedding for the middle of September, so that there might be time for a short tour before they settled down to John’s work in London.

Mrs. Evelyn begged that Barbara would come to her whilst her mother and brother were away, Armine would be at his theological college, and there was nothing to detain Mrs. Brownlow and her son from the journey, to which both looked forward with absolute pleasure, not only in the hope of the meeting, but in the being together, and throwing off for a time the cares of home and gratifying the spirit of enterprise.

Jock had one secret.  He had reason to think that Bobus would have a kind of vacation at the time, and he telegraphed to Japan what their intended voyage was to be, with a hope he durst not tell, that his favourite brother would not throw away the opportunity of meeting them in America.

CHAPTER XL.  EVIL OUT OF GOOD.

And all too little to atone
For knowing what should ne’er be known. 
                                        Scott.

The season at Saratoga was not yet over, the travellers were told at New York, though people were fast thronging back into “the city.”  Should they go on thither at once, or try to find the photographer nearer at hand?  It was on a Friday that they landed, and they resolved to wait till Monday, Jock thinking that a rest would be better for his mother.