"We were both geese," said Pat.
"Let's blame it all on the moon," said Rae.
They felt very near to each other. And then Judy came in with cups of delicious hot cocoa for them and a "liddle bite" of Bishop's bread and a handful of raisins as if they were children again.
"Just think," said Pat, "to other people this day has been only Wednesday. To me it's the day you came home ... home to me ... back into my life. It may be March still by the calendar but it's April in my heart ... April full of spring song."
"Here's to my having more sense in all the years to come," said Rae, waving her cup of cocoa.
"To OUR having more sense," corrected Pat.
"It's lovely to be home again," sighed Rae. "I had a splendid time at Guelph ... and I really did learn lots ... much more than just nature study. The social side was all right, too. There were some nice boys. We had a gorgeous trip to Niagara. But I am half inclined to agree with you that there is no place like Silver Bush. It must do something to people who live in it. Those darling cats! I really haven't seen a decent cat since I left the Island, Pat ... no cat who looked as if he really enjoyed being a cat, you know. I wish we could do some crazy thing to celebrate. Sleep out in the moonlight or something like that. But it's too Marchy. So we must just have a good pi-jaw. Tell me EVERYTHING that has happened since I went away. Your letters were so ... so CHARITABLE. There was no kick in them. Let me tell you once for all, Pat, that a person who always speaks well of every one is a most uninteresting correspondent. I'm sure you must be boiling over with gossip. Have there been any nice juicy scandals? Who has been born ... married ... engaged? Not you, I hope. Pat, don't go and get married to David. He's far too old for you, darling ... he really is."
"Don't be silly, sweetheart. I just want David as a friend."
"The darlints," said Judy happily, as she went downstairs. "I was knowing the good ould Gardiner sinse wud come out on top."
It was wonderful to be too happy to sleep. The very sky through the window looked glad. And when Pat wakened a verse she had heard David read a few days before ... a verse which had hurt her at the time but now seemed like a friend ... came to her mind.
"Whoever wakens on a day, Happy to know and be, To enjoy the air, to love his kind, To labour and be free, Already his enraptured soul Lives in Eternity."
She repeated the lines to herself as she stood by her window. Rae slipped out of bed and joined her. Judy was crossing the yard, carrying something for the comfort of her hens.
"Pat," said Rae a bit soberly, "does it ever strike you that Judy is growing old?"
"Don't!" Pat winced. "I don't want to think of anything to spoil this happy morning."
But she did know that Judy was growing old, shut her eyes to it as she might. And hadn't Judy said to her rather solemnly one day,
"Patsy darlint, there do be a nightdress wid a croshay yoke all riddy in the top right hand till av me blue chist if I iver tuk ill suddent-like."
"Judy ... don't you feel well?" Pat had cried in alarm.
"Oh, oh, niver be worrying, darlint. I'm fit as a fiddle. Only I did be rading in the dead list av the paper this morning that ould Maggie Patterson had died in Charlottetown. We were cronies whin I did be coming to the Island at first and she do be only a year older than mesilf. So I just thought I'd mintion the nightdress to ye. The ould lady in Castle McDermott had one av lace and sating she always put on whin she had the doctor."
"I'm so glad you and Rae are as you used to be, Pat," said mother when Pat took her breakfast into her. Pat looked at mother.
"I didn't think you knew we weren't," she said slowly.
Mother smiled.
"You can't hide such things from mothers, darling. We always know. And I think a little wise forgetfulness is indicated."
Pat stooped and kissed her.
"Mr precious dear, wasn't it lucky father fell in love with YOU," she breathed.
Rae was in kinks in the hall when Pat went out.
"Oh, Pat, Pat, life IS worth living. I've just seen Judy making Tillytuck take a dose of castor oil. You'll never know what you've missed."
Yes, life was worth living again. And now Pat felt that she could throw herself into housecleaning plans and spring renovating with a heart at leisure from itself. The days that had seemed so endless wouldn't be half long enough now for all she wanted to crowd into them.
4
David and Suzanne went to England for a trip that spring and the Long House was closed for the summer. Pat missed them terribly but Judy and Rae were consolable.
"That Suzanne has been trying iver since she come to make a match betwane her brother and Patsy," Judy told Cuddles. "I've been fearing lately she'd manage it. And him as'll soon be using hair tonics! Patsy hasn't inny other beau after her just now. The min do be getting discouraged. Somehow the word do be going round she thinks nobody good enough for her."
"And there really isn't a man in the Glens she couldn't have by just crooking her finger," said Rae thoughtfully. "I think it's just that way she has of saying 'I know' sympathetically. And she doesn't mean a thing by it."
"Do ye be thinking, Cuddles, that there is inny chance av Jingle coming home this summer now?"
Rae shook her head.
"I'm afraid not, Judy. He's got a big contract for building a mountain inn in B.C.... a splendid chance for a young architect. Besides ... I think he has grown away from us now. He and Pat will never be anything but good friends. You can't make him jealous ... I know for I've tried ... so I'm sure he doesn't care for her except just as she cares for him. Do you know, Judy, I think it would be better if the uncles and aunts ... and perhaps all of us ... would stop teasing Pat about beaus or their absence. She thinks the whole clan is bent on marrying her off ... and it rouses the Gardiner obstinacy. There's a streak of it in us all. If you all hadn't been so contemptuous of poor Larry Wheeler I don't believe I'd ever have given him a second thought."
"Girls do be like that, I'm knowing. But I'd like to see both you and Patsy snug and safe, wid some one to care for ye, afore I die, Cuddles darlint."
Rae laughed.
"Judy, I'm only seventeen. Hardly on the shelf yet. And don't you talk of dying ... you'll live to see our grandchildren."
Judy shook her head.
"I can't be polishing off a day's work like I used to, Cuddles dear. Oh, oh, we all have to grow old and ye haven't larned yet how quick time do be passing."
"As for Pat," resumed Rae, "I think perhaps she'll never marry. She loves Silver Bush too much to leave it for any man. The best chance David has is that the Long House is so near Silver Bush that she could still keep an eye on it. Do you know that Norma is to be married this summer?"
"I've been hearing it. Mrs. Brian will be rale aisy in her mind now wid both of her girls well settled. Norma'll niver have to lift a hand. Not that I do be thinking her beau is inny great shakes av a man wid all his money though he comes of a rale aristocratic family. His mother now ... she was one av the Summerside MacMillans and niver did she be letting her husband forget it. She kipt up all the MacMillan traditions ... niver wore the same pair av silk stockings twice and her maid had to be saying, 'Dinner is served, madam,' just like that, afore she cud ate a bite, wid service plates and all the flat silver matching. And in sason and out av sason she did be reminding her husband she was a MacMillan along wid iverybody av inny importance on the Island. It was lucky he had a bit av humour in him or it might have been after being a trifle monotonous. Will I iver be forgetting the story I heard him tell on the madam one cillebration at the Bay Shore? It was whin his b'ys, Jim and Davy, were two liddle chaps and Jim did be coming home from church one day rale earnest and sez he to Davy, 'The minister did be talking av Jesus all the time but he didn't be saying who Jesus was.' 'Why, Jesus MacMillan av coorse,' sez Norma's beau, in just the tone av his mother. Mr. MacMillan did be roaring at it, but yer Aunt Honor thought it was tarrible irriverint. Innyway, a Gardiner is as good as a MacMillan inny day. And now I must be making a few cookies, Liddle Mary will be coming over for a wake. She do be so like Patsy whin she was small. Sometimes I'm wondering if the clock has turned back. She do be always saying good-night to the wind like Patsy did ... and the quistions av her! 'Have I GOT to be good, Judy? Can't I be a liddle bad sometimes whin I'm alone wid you?' And, 'What's the use av washing me face after dark, Judy?' Sure and it's a bit av sunshine whin she comes and I'm thinking the very smallest flower in the garden do be glad, niver to mintion the cats."