But we all know that terrible tower of silver which now stands
niddle-noddling with its appendages of flags and spears on the modern
wedding breakfast-table. It will come to pass with some of us soon
that we must deny ourselves the pleasure of having young friends,
because their marriage presents are so costly.

Poor Mrs. Boncassen had not perhaps a happy time with her august
guests on that morning; but when she retired to give Isabel her last
kiss in privacy she did feel proud to think that her daughter would
some day be an English Duchess.

CHAPTER LXXX

The Second Wedding

November is not altogether an hymeneal month, but it was not till
November that Lady Mary Palliser became the wife of Frank Tregear. It
was postponed a little, perhaps, in order that the Silverbridges,--as
they were now called,--might be present. The Silverbridges, who were
now quite Darby and Joan, had gone to the States when the Session
had been brought to a close early in August, and had remained there
nearly three months. Isabel had taken infinite pleasure in showing
her English husband to her American friends, and the American friends
had no doubt taken a pride in seeing so glorious a British husband
in the hands of an American wife. Everything was new to Silverbridge,
and he was happy in his new possession. She too enjoyed it
infinitely, and so it happened that they had been unwilling to
curtail their sojourn. But in November they had to return, because
Mary had declared that her marriage should be postponed till it could
be graced by the presence of her elder brother.

The marriage of Silverbridge had been August. There had been a
manifest intention that it should be so. Nobody knew with whom this
originated. Mrs. Boncassen had probably been told that it ought to
be so, and Mr. Boncassen had been willing to pay the bill. External
forces had perhaps operated. The Duke had simply been passive and
obedient. There had however been a general feeling that the bride
of the heir of the house of Omnium should be produced to the world
amidst a blare of trumpets and a glare of torches. So it had been.
But both the Duke and Mary were determined that this other wedding
should be different. It was to take place at Matching, and none would
be present but they who were staying in the house, or who lived
around,--such as tenants and dependants. Four clergymen united their
forces to tie Isabel to her husband, one of whom was a bishop, one a
ca