Other regiments get the luck of being quartered in the metropolis, or
near it; ours doesn't."

When Major Thorn departed, and Mr. Carlyle was about to return to the
room where he left his sister, he was interrupted by Joyce.

"Sir," she began. "Miss Carlyle tells me that there is going to be a
change at East Lynne."

The words took Mr. Carlyle by surprise.

"Miss Carlyle has been in a hurry to tell you," he remarked--a certain
haughty displeasure in his tone.

"She did not speak for the sake of telling me, sir, it is not likely;
but I fancy she was thinking about her own plans. She inquired whether
I would go with her when she left, or whether I meant to remain at East
Lynne. I would not answer her, sir, until I had spoken to you."

"Well?" said Mr. Carlyle.

"I gave a promise sir, to--to--my late lady--that I would remain with
her children as long as I was permitted. She asked it of me when she was
ill--when she thought she was going to die. What I would inquire of you,
sir, is, whether the change will make any difference to my staying?"

"No," he decisively replied. "I also, Joyce, wish you to remain with the
children."

"It is well, sir," Joyce answered, and her face looked bright as she
quitted the room.

CHAPTER XXXI.

MR. DILL IN AN EMBROIDERED SHIRT-FRONT.

It was a lovely morning in June, and all West Lynne was astir. West
Lynne generally was astir in the morning, but not in the bustling manner
that might be observed now. People were abroad in numbers, passing down
to St. Jude's Church, for it was the day of Mr. Carlyle's marriage to
Barbara Hare.

Miss Carlyle made herself into a sort of martyr. She would not go near
it; fine weddings in fine churches did not suit her, she proclaimed;
they could tie themselves up together fast enough without her presence.
She had invited the little Carlyles and their governess and Joyce to
spend the day with her; and she persisted in regarding the children
as martyrs too, in being obliged to submit to the advent of a second
mother. She was back in her old house again, next door to the office,
settled there for life now with her servants. Peter had mortally
offended her in electing to remain at East Lynne.

Mr. Dill committed himself terribly on the wedding morning. About ten
o'clock he made his appearance at Miss Carlyle's; he was a man of the
old stage, possessing old-fashioned notions, and he had deemed that to
step in to congratulate her on the auspicio