Rachel underwent the embrace, and kissed the
lady by whom she found herself to be thus enveloped. She kissed Mrs.
Rowan, but she could not, for the life of her, think of any word to
speak which would be fitting for the occasion.

"My own dear child!" said Mrs. Rowan again; "for you know that you
are to be my child now as well as your own mamma's."

"It is very kind of you to say so," said Mrs. Ray.

"Very kind, indeed," said Mrs. Prime; "and I'm sure that you will
find Rachel dutiful as a daughter." Rachel herself did not feel
disposed to give any positive assurance on that point. She intended
to be dutiful to her husband, and was inclined to think that
obedience in that direction was quite enough for a married woman.

"Now that Luke is going to settle himself for life," continued Mrs.
Rowan, "it is so very desirable that he should be married at once.
Don't you think so, Mrs. Ray?"

"Indeed, yes, Mrs. Rowan. I always like to hear of young men getting
married; that is when they've got anything to live upon. It makes
them less harum-scarum like."

"I don't think Luke was ever what you call harum-scarum," said Mrs.
Rowan.

"Mother didn't mean to say he was," said Mrs. Prime; "but marriage
certainly does steady a young man, and generally makes him much more
constant at Divine service."

"My Luke always did go to church very regularly," said Mrs. Rowan.

"I like to see young men in church," said Mrs. Ray. "As for the girls
they go as a matter of course; but young men are allowed so much of
their own way. When a man is a father of a family it becomes very
different." Hereupon Rachel blushed, and then was kissed again by
Luke's mother; and was made the subject of certain very interesting
prophecies, which embarrassed her considerably and which need not be
repeated here. After that interview she was never again afraid of her
mother-in-law.

"You'll love mamma, when you know her," said Mary Rowan to Rachel a
day or two afterwards. "Strangers and acquaintances generally think
that she is a very tremendous personage, but she always does what she
is asked by those who belong to her;--and as for Luke, she's almost
a slave to him." I won't say that Rachel resolved that Mrs. Rowan
should be a slave to her also, but she did resolve that she would
not be a slave to Mrs. Rowan. She intended henceforward to serve one
person and one person only.

Mrs. Butler Cornbury also called at the cottage; and her visit was
very delight