dgings.

But while all were happy at Danton Hall, save Captain Danton's second
daughter, once the gayest among them, the days flew by, and Eveleen
Danton's wedding-day dawned. Such a lovely December day, brilliant,
cloudless, warm--just the day for a wedding. The little village church
was crowded with the rich and the poor, long before the carriages from
the Hall arrived. Very lovely looked the young bride, in her silken robe
of virgin white, her misty veil, and drooping, flower-crowned head. Very
sweet, and fair, and innocent, and as pale as her snowy dress, the
centre of all eyes, as she moved up the aisle, on her father's arm.
There were four bride-maids; the Demoiselles La Touche came from Ottawa
for the occasion. Miss Emily Howard, and Miss La Favre. The bride's
sisters shared with her the general admiration--Mrs. Dr. Danton; Mrs.
Stanford, all auburn ringlets, and golden brown silk, and no outward
sign of the torments within; Mrs. Harry Danton, fair as a lily, clinging
to her sailor-husband's arm, like some spirit of the sea; and last, but
not least, Captain Danton's wife, very simply dressed, but looking so
quietly happy and serene. Then it was all over, and the gaping
spectators saw the wedding party flocking back into the carriages, and
whirling away to the Hall.

Mr. and Mrs. La Touche were to make but a brief tour, and return in time
for a Christmas house-warming. Doctor Frank and his wife went to their
Montreal home, and Mrs. Stanford remained at St. Croix. The family were
all to reassemble at Ottawa, to spend New Year with Madame La Touche.

Rose found the intervening weeks very long and dreary at the Hall.
Captain Harry had gone back to his ship, and of course Agnes had gone
with him. They had wanted her to stay at home this voyage, but Agnes had
lifted such appealing eyes, and clung in so much alarm to Harry at the
bare idea of his leaving her, that they had given it up at once. So
Rose, with no companion except Grace, found it very dull, and sighed the
slow hours away, like a modern Mariana in the Moated Grange.

But the merry New Year time came round at last; and all the Dantons were
together once more in Eeny's splendid home. It made Rose's heart ache
with envy to walk through those lovely rooms--long vistas of splendour
and gorgeousness.

"It might have been mine!--It might have been mine!" that rebellious
heart of hers kept crying out. "I might have been mistress of all this
retinue of servants-