ntil 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 ex