It took Terry a long time.
I doubt if she ever accepted her strange lover as fully as did
Celis and Ellador theirs. He had hurt and offended her too often;
there were reservations.
But I think Alima retained some faint vestige of long-
descended feeling which made Terry more possible to her than
to others; and that she had made up her mind to the experiment
and hated to renounce it.
However it came about, we all three at length achieved full
understanding, and solemnly faced what was to them a step of
measureless importance, a grave question as well as a great happiness;
to us a strange, new joy.
Of marriage as a ceremony they knew nothing. Jeff was for
bringing them to our country for the religious and the civil
ceremony, but neither Celis nor the others would consent.
"We can't expect them to want to go with us--yet," said Terry sagely.
"Wait a bit, boys. We've got to take 'em on their own terms--if at all."
This, in rueful reminiscence of his repeated failures.
Pages:
184
185
186
187
188
189
190
191
192
193
194
195
196
197
198
199
200
201
202
203
204
205
206
207
208