ted to hear it."

"Indeed I am," said Mary.

"And Mr Whittlestaff also. Are you not, Mr Whittlestaff?"

"I am very happy to hear that a couple whom I like so well are soon
to be made happy. But you have not yet told us the day."

"The 1st of August," said Evelina Hall.

"The 1st of August," said Mr Blake, "is an auspicious day. I am sure
there is some reason for regarding it as auspicious, though I cannot
exactly remember what. It is something about Augustus, I think."

"I never heard of such an idea to come from a clergyman of the Church
of England," said the bride. "I declare Montagu never seems to think
that he's a clergyman at all."

"It will be better for him," said Mr Whittlestaff, "and for all
those about him, that he should ever remember the fact and never seem
to do so."

"All the same," said Blake, "although the 1st of August is
auspicious, I was very anxious to be married in July, only the
painters said they couldn't be done with the house in time. One is
obliged to go by what these sort of people say and do. We're to have
a month's honeymoon,--only just a month, because Mr Lowlad won't
make himself as agreeable as he ought to do about the services; and
Newface, the plumber and glazier, says he can't have the house done
as Kattie would like to live in it before the end of August. Where do
you think we're going to, Miss Lawrie? You would never guess."

"Perhaps to Rome," said Mary at a shot.

"Not quite so far. We're going to the Isle of Wight. It's rather
remarkable that I never spent but one week in the Isle of Wight since
I was born. We haven't quite made up our mind whether it's to be
Black Gang Chine or Ventnor. It's a matter of dresses, you see."

"Don't be a fool, Montagu," said Miss Forrester.

"Well, it is. If we decide upon Ventnor, she must have frocks and
things to come out with."

"I suppose so," said Mr Whittlestaff.

"But she'll want nothing of the kind at Black Gang."

"Do hold your tongue, and not make an ass of yourself. What do you
know what dresses I shall want? As it is, I don't think I shall go
either to the one place or the other. The Smiths are at Ryde, and the
girls are my great friends. I think we'll go to Ryde, after all."

"I'm so sorry, Mr Whittlestaff, that we can't expect the pleasure
of seeing you at our wedding. It is, of course, imperative that
Kattie should be married in the cathedral. Her father is one of the
dignitaries, and could not bear not to put his