Her whole weight of passive resistance was set against his purpose.

'Such unseemly haste!' she murmured. 'So inordinate--such a hurried
marriage!'

But, Edward's motives being what they were, he was proof against this.

'What will the congregation think?'

'Bother the congregation!'

'That's the second time you've said that, Edward. I'm afraid you are
going from bad to worse.'

'No. Only going to be married mother.'

'But a year's engagement is the least, the very least I could
countenance,' she pleaded, 'and a year is so soon gone. One eats and
sleeps, and Lord's Day breaks the week, and time soon passes.'

'Oh, can't you understand, mother?' He tried illustration. 'Suppose you
saw a beautiful shawl out on a hedge in the rain, shouldn't you want to
bring it in?'

'Certainly not. It would be most unwise. Besides, I have seven.'

'Well, anyway, I can't put it off. Even now something may have happened
to her.'