A Mere Chance, Vol. 3 of 3

omfort to her. The weather was beautiful, to begin with; a lovelier autumn morning eve

eresting ceremony took care to point out the significance of sunshine and a cloudl

ition and custom assigned to him. There was not a bridesmaid of them all who di

an with her, but he had far more to say to them, and practically far more to do with

gh the credit of that really belonged to Mr. Hardy, who, for once in a way, had to be reckoned wi

differed from the rest, though all were equally costly, of the excellence of his taste and tact. They were valued thereafter by

er the ruffled lace encircling her white throat-a dazzling ring of shifting lights and colours-a ma

shion in which he improved this great occasion, and who did not participate in the general impressio

lightful sang-froid. He was never for a moment embarrassed. He overflowed wi

cularity, and that was full of well-bred witticisms, provocative of gentle, well-bred laughter. He wa

he was not agitated at all, and she did not blush at all. She bore herself generally with a statuesque composure that was thought by some to be very dignified, and by

some stage of the ceremonies, and was prepared to combat the first symptoms of hy

count, and bidden her restrict herself to the most perfunctory caresses until the public ordeal was over. But long ere this point

y embodies it. She had apparently nerved herself for a sacrificial rite, or else the g

middle of the marriage service, "I wish I had

et and antique lace-in the midst of scores of other splendid figures, a helpless witness to

the ring that was the sign and seal of it-the token and pledge o

igious ceremony having "gone off" with great success, Mrs. Ki

with at this stage, and the two marrie

nything, and was delighted with the pomp and circumstance of this new alliance in the family, and charmed,

uch good husbands. Oh, how nice it will be when Rachel and Laura come back and begin housekeeping! John is going to let me have a house in town, too, as soon as Isabel and Bruce come home, so that we shall be down for part of the year; and then what a cosy little family circl

anding the starry necklace to her sister. "And, Rachel, dear,

en taken off, sat down to be sponged and brus

ted, and pleasantly chatted on; and when all was done, and the bride, in russet homespun, wa

you said yo

e, dear; yes,

ing it very hard-

easier in a

ind-if you are kind and good to your husband, and tr

with any more. That is what I feel hard. But I am trying to get over it. I have promised Mr. Kingston-Graham-all those solemn promises, and I must keep them-I will. It is only at first

she found all the company awaiting her, the front door open, and the carria

is fellow-servants; she kissed her uncle and thanked him for all his kindness to her; she embraced Lucilla and Beatrice with silent

goodness to me, dear Aunt Elizabeth," she said, with path

the majestic woman sud

t to you as you have been a good niece to me. I hope you will be very,

a cloud over his face. Mrs. Reade was also standing by, and she

y looked at his wife; "we shall los

nd and led her away, followed from the house to her carriage by all her train. Sh

strange and very touching. It invested the Toorak House and all its belongings with a new cha

seemed so much her "home" as at this moment, when her aunt cried like a mothe

e lodge, who stood in her Sunday best and white satin cap-ribbons, smiling and curtseying, to see them pass; "well, that is a good thing over, isn't it? Of all the

Her heart was beating very fast, beating in her ears and in her throat, as

eaking-down which she had dreaded, and which she felt was inevitable, until

hether she was going to make him happy, as she had promised, or to curse his life with its bitterest disappointment-speaking half in love, half in anger, with

e you, my pet. Rachel, Rachel, hush! do hush! Don't let that confounded coachman go back and say-Rachel, do you hear?"-g

to the indecency of betraying her emotion to the servants and the

nd held herself in with shut teeth and tight-locked hands, wildly sobbing under her breath, and by-and-bye, when the fir

o be able to scold her-in a gentle and judicious manner, of course-but he was afraid to attempt

e; he got her to put on a thicker veil, which happened to be amongst the luxuries that her aunt and cousins had stuffed into her travelling-bag; and

her powers of self-command. The more important matters could wait

hey reached the country house which had been placed at their disposal-the best substitute to be had for that charming residence on the

n his fur-collared overcoat, was musing not very happily upon the success that had crowned his long-cherish

she whispe

the first time she had spoken his name and offered him a c

his embrace, but creeping into it as she had never done

loved you more than anybody in the world, and I always s

ead in its soft little sealskin cap on his brea

el happier (even on his wedding day) than he felt now, with his best beloved, who

tial to its very existence that it should have something to cling to-w