There was a window behind the dressing-table. He
examined that, overturning and extinguishing the candle in the act. But
that was nothing. The stars gave enough of light. Fortunately the
window was a simple cottage one, which opened inwards with a pull. He
put on his coat and belt, resumed his arms, and, putting his long leg
over the sill, once more stood on his native soil and breathed the pure
air! Quietly gliding round the house, he found a clump of bushes with a
footpath leading through it. There he laid him down, enveloped in one
of Mrs Liston's best blankets, and there he was found next morning in
tranquil slumber by our domestic when she went to milk the cows!

Before the three weeks were over Peter Macnab almost paralysed Aunt
Temple by a cool proposal that she should exchange the civilised
settlements for the wilderness, and go back with him, as Mrs Macnab, to
the Mountain Fort! The lady, recovering from her semi-paralytic
affection, agreed to the suggestion, and thus Peter Macnab was,
according to his own statement, "set up for life."

Shall I dwell on the triple wedding? No. Why worry the indulgent
reader, or irritate the irascible one, by recounting what is so
universally understood. There were circumstances peculiar, no doubt to
the special occasion. To Eve and myself, of course, it was the most
important day of our lives--a day never to be forgotten; and for which
we could never be too thankful, and my dear father pronounced it the
happiest day of _his_ life; but I think he forgot himself a little when
he said that! Then old Mrs Liston saw but one face the whole evening,
and it was the face of Willie--she saw it by faith, through the medium
of Eve's sweet countenance.

But I must cut matters short. When all was over, Macnab said to his
wife:--

"Now, my dear, we must be off at the end of one week. You see, I have
just one year's furlough, and part of it is gone already. The rest of
it, you and I must spend partly in the States, partly in England, and
partly on the continent of Europe, so that we may return to the Great
Nor'-west with our brains well stored with material for small talk
during an eight or nine months' winter."

Aunt Macnab had no objection. Accordingly, that day week he and she
bade us all good-bye and left us. Big Otter was to go with them part of
the way, and then diverge into the wilderness. He remained a few
minutes behind the others to say farewell.

"You wil