my gyurl, niver to rouse
that sleepin' divil an' have him peep at ye through the eyes of yer man.
Niver, as ye value yer station as a wife, give him annything to forgive
in ye as a wife. Forgive it he might, but forget it he niver would."

Faith, her smooth cheeks aflame, drew herself up haughtily. "You have no
right to speak to me like that."

"I am takin' th' right," Mrs. Foley replied steadily. "Do I not know ye
for what ye are--a little lady born an' bred, pure-minded an'
high-minded? Ye blush whin an old woman that's seen th' rough iv ut
calls a spade a spade. I wud tear th' eyes out iv man or woman that
spoke ill of ye. But ye are a woman, an' women will be women, and min
min, foriver an' a day."

"You have never spoken to me so before. Why do you do it now?"

"Bekase ye are about to take a man," Mrs. Foley replied. "A colleen is
her own woman, wid none but herself to gyard an' care for; but a wife is
her man's woman, an' besides herself she must gyard an' care for her man
an' his love for her. The wise wife will gyard herself closer nor whin
she was a maid, an' she will gyard her man closer nor his mother."

"Angus may trust me," Faith said proudly, "as I trust him."

"An' well f'r both iv ye," said Mrs. Foley, "if as ye say now in yer
youth ye do till ye have grandchilder." She wound a great arm around
Faith and drew her to her ample bosom. "There, there, gyurl iv me heart!
Forgive th' rough tongue iv an owld woman wid a long, harrd road behind
her. Th' lad is a rale man, if iver I saw wan. An' as f'r th' divil in
him, I wouldn' give a snap iv me thumb for a man widout wan."

Whereat Faith, being motherless and in spite of her independence lonely
as well, cried a little and so did Mrs. Foley, and both enjoyed it very
much.

The wedding took place a few days later. Kathleen French was the only
one of her family present. Turkey would not come, sending Jean an
excuse. Faith had never even seen him.

There was no wedding trip. But after a few days at the Mackay ranch
Angus began to arrange excursions. So far as he could see, it was now
merely a matter of weeks till the place had another owner, probably
Braden. He had done his best, and he was more or less resigned to the
inevitable. With the resignation a load of worry dropped from his
shoulders. Later he must make a fresh start, but now he would enjoy the
present.

With Faith he took long rides into the foothills, along faint, old
trails first beaten by