Page:Old ninety-nine's cave.djvu/249

 be jealous," said Mrs. De Vere, giving her a real motherly kiss.

Dora was dragged into the sitting-room and as she drank the fragrant hot coffee, which Margaret said was good for frost bites, she felt that Jack had not over-rated the virtues of his family. She had rather dreaded meeting them and it had taxed her courage greatly when she thought of the dignified mother-in-law who must have strong ideas as to the fitness of any woman to be the wife of her darling boy. But it was a clear case of mutual respect and before Dora had spent an hour with her mother-in-law, she was ready to swear to all that Jack had said.

Celeste and Elisha were now marshalled into the bathroom by "Aunt Celeste," while Dora took Jack-the-third under her protection.

Every nook in the dear old place was revisited by Jack. Lost in admiration, he was gazing from the windows on the city below when he was interrupted by his father who, in the excitement of their arrival, had for the time being neglected to mention Hernando's