As they talked, Maggie had taken up her father’s pipe that had lain on a shelf near, and emptying its contents she took from a pouch hanging on the wall a piece of tobacco and a jack-knife, and, with a practised hand, she refilled the pipe afresh, then laid it gently on a little shelf within easy reach of the cosy seat that her father occupied during the warm summer evenings.  It was done so quietly that it was almost unnoticed, but Dexie saw it and understood the kindly act.  She wondered if she loved her own father enough to perform such an act for him.  She felt glad that her father did not use tobacco, for she would not care to be outdone by these Prince Edward Island girls; yet in her case she felt that even lovingkindness had its limit, and that she would have to draw the line this side of the tobacco pipe.

Maggie felt, rather than saw, that Dexie was watching her, and as she laid the pipe in readiness for her father’s evening smoke she looked up and said with a smile: 

“You never saw a girl do that before, confess now?  Well, I don’t care for it, but father likes to find his pipe all ready for him, so I try to overcome my dislike, and his tobacco-smoke helps to keep my flowers free from vermin, you know.”

As twilight deepened into evening the members of the family all assembled in the grandmother’s room, and a home-like feeling came over Elsie as she saw Mr. McDonald open the big Bible that rested on a small table near the grandmother’s chair, and read, in his rich Scotch accents, the evening psalms.  Then they quietly knelt, all except the grandmother, who, rising slowly to her feet and leaning on her staff, offered up the evening prayer.  It made Dexie think of the patriarchs of old, who blessed their families “leaning on their staffs for very age.”  Then the family said good-night to the grandmother, and the polished candlesticks that decorated the mantle shelf were taken down by the farmer’s wife and a lighted candle set in each; these were then handed to the different members of the family, who passed out of the room in single file, very much after the manner of a diminutive torch-light procession.

The family were supposed to retire to their own rooms at once, as “early to bed” was the rule of the farmhouse, but the laughing group of girls all assembled in one room for a friendly chat before retiring.

As Lancy sat by his open window enjoying the quiet scene without, the sound of their voices reached his ears.  He would have preferred a walk, or a short tete-a-tete with Dexie, instead of this early-to-bed arrangement, but he respected the rule of the house and blew out his candle at an early hour.  He was rewarded for his good behavior by a long refreshing sleep, and Dexie appearing to him in his dreams was more gracious than ever she had been during his waking hours.