"Cecil's rejoicing is quite as much for Jock's sake as over his boy. He told me how they had been pledged as brothers in arms, and traces all that is best in himself to those days at Engelberg."
"Yes, that night on the mountain was the great starting-point, thanks to dear little Armine."
"I am writing to him and to Allen," said Barbara from a corner.
"My love a thousand times, and we will meet at home!"
"Then our joy will not feel incongruous to you?" said Mrs. Evelyn.
"No, I am too thankful for what I know of my poor Janet. She is mine now as she never was since she was a baby in my arms. I scarcely grieve, for happiness was over for her, and hers was a noble death. They have placed her name in the memorial tablet in Abville Church, to those who laid down their lives for their brethren there. I begged it might be, 'Janet Hermann, daughter of Joseph Brownlow'-for I thank God she died worthy of her father. In all ways I can say of this journey, my children were dead and are alive again, were lost and are found."
"Ah! I was sure it must be so, if such a girl as Miss Ashton could accept Robert."
"I am happier about him than I ever thought to be. I do not say that his faith is like John's or Armine's, but he is striving back through the mists, and wishing to believe, rather than being proud of disbelieving, and Primrose knows what she is doing, and is aiding him with all her power."
"As our Esther never could have done," said Mrs. Evelyn, "except by her gentle innocence."
"No. She could only have been to him a pretty white idol of his own setting up," said Babie.
"Now," added her mother, "Primrose is fairly on equal grounds as to force and intellect. She has been all over Europe, read and thought much, and can discuss deep matters, while the depth of her religious principle impresses him. They fought themselves into love, and then she was sorry for him, and so touched by his wretchedness and longing to take hold of the comfort his reason could not accept. I wish you could have seen her. This photograph shows you her fine head; but not the beautiful clear complexion, and the sweetness of those dark grey eyes!"
"I liked her letter," said Babie, "and I am glad she was such a daughter to you, mother. Allen says he is thankful she is not a Japanese with black teeth."
"He wrote very nicely to her, and so did Elfie," said her mother. "And Armine wrote a charming little note, which pleased Primrose best of all."
"Poor Armine has felt all most deeply," said Babie. "Do you remember when he thought it his mission to die and do good to Bobus? Well, he was sure that, though, as he said, his own life then was too shallow and unreal for his death to have done any good, Jock was meant to produce the effect."
"And he has-"
"Yes, but by life, not death! Armie could hardly believe it. You know he was with us at Christmas; and when he found that Bobus was to be led not by sorrow, but by this Primrose path, it was quite funny to see how surprised he was."
"Yes," said Mrs. Evelyn, "he went about moralising on the various remedies that are applied to the needs of human nature."
"It made into a poem at last, such a pretty one," said Babie. "And he says he will be wiser all his life for finding things turn out so unlike all his expectations."
"I have a strange feeling of peace about all my children," said Caroline. "I do feel as if my dream had come true, and life, true life, had wakened them all."
"Yes," said Mrs. Evelyn, "I think they all, in their degree, may be said to have learnt or be learning the way to true Magnum Bonum."
"And oh! how precious it has been to me," said the mother. "How the guarding of that secret aided me through the worst of times!"
THE END.
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Magnum Bonum Page 67
