Where he recognized obligations he met them punctually.

He had large merchant virtues, no less than the accompanying limitations.
He returned to the Church of Scotland.
The laird of Glenfernie and the laird of Black Hill found constitutional impediments to their being more friendly than need be.
Each was polite to the other to a certain point, then the one glowered and the other scoffed.

It ended in a painstaking keeping of distance between them, a task which, when they were in company, fell often to Mrs.Jardine.She did it with tact, with a twist of her large, humorous mouth toward Strickland if he were by.

Admirable as she was, it was curious to see the difference between her method, if method there were, and that of Mrs.Alison.The latter showed no effort, but where she was there fell harmony.

William Jardine liked her, liked to be in the room with her.