he Arleighs to spend their honeymoon at home; they
had never fallen into the habit of making themselves uncomfortable
abroad. The proper place, they considered, for a man to take his young
wife to was home; the first Lord Arleigh had done so, and each lord had
followed this sensible example. Norman, Lord Arleigh, had not dreamed of
making any change. True, he had planned with his fair young bride that
when the autumn month had passed away they would go abroad, and not
spend the winter in cold, foggy England. They had talked of the cities
they would visit--and Madaline's sweet eyes had grown brighter with
happy thoughts. But that was not to be yet; they were to go home first,
and when they had learned something of what home-life would be together,
then they could go abroad.

Lady Peters went back to Verdun Royal on the same morning; her task
ended with the marriage. She took back with her innumerable messages for
the duchess. As she stood at the carriage-door, she--so little given to
demonstration--took the young wife into her arms.

"Good-by, Madaline--or I should say now, Lady Arleigh--good-by, and may
Heaven bless you! I did not love you at first, my dear, and I thought my
old friend was doing a foolish thing; but now I love you with all my
heart; you are so fair and wise, so sweet and pure, that in making you
his wife he has chosen more judiciously than if he had married the
daughter of a noble house. That is my tribute to you, Madaline; and to
it I add, may Heaven bless you, and send you a happy life!"

Then they parted; but, as she went home through all the glory of the
sunlit day, Lady Peters did not feel quite at ease.

"I wish," she said to herself, "that he had not dropped the
Wedding-ring; it has made me feel uncomfortable."

Bride and bridegroom had one of the blithest, happiest journeys ever
made. What cloud could rise in such a sky as theirs. They were blessed
with youth, beauty, health; there had been no one to raise the least
opposition to their marriage; before them stretched a long golden
future.

The carriage met them at the station, it was then three in the
afternoon, and the day continued fair.

"We will have a long drive through the park, Madaline," said Lord
Arleigh. "You will like to see your new home."

So, instead of going direct to the mansion, they turned off from the
main avenue to make a tour of the park.

"Now I understand why this place is called Beechgrove," said Madaline,
sudd