done was a sin or not a sin, according as it
might be regarded by the person who did it. It was a sin to her, a
heavy, grievous sin, and one that weighed terribly on her conscience
as she repeated the words after the Dean at the altar that morning.
There was a moment in which she almost refused to repeat them,--in
which she almost brought herself to demand that she might retire for
a time with him who was not yet her husband, and give him another
chance. Her mind entertained an exaggerated feeling of it, a feeling
which she felt to be exaggerated but which she could not restrain.
In the meantime the service went on; the irrevocable word was spoken;
and when it was done she was led away into the cathedral vestry as
sad a bride as might be.

And yet nobody had seen her trouble. With a capacity for struggling,
infinitely greater than that possessed by any man, she had smiled
and looked happy beneath her bridal finery, as though no grief had
weighed heavily at her heart. And he was as jocund a bridegroom
as ever put a ring upon a lady's finger. All that gloom of his,
which had seemed to be his nature till after she had accepted him,
had vanished altogether. And he carried himself with no sheepish,
shame-faced demeanour as though half ashamed of the thing which he
had done. He seemed as proud to be a bridegroom as ever girl was to
become a bride. And in truth he was proud of her and did think that
he had chosen well. After the former troubles of his life he did feel
that he had brought himself to a happy haven at last.

There was a modest breakfast at Mrs. Holt's house, from which the
guests departed quickly as soon as the bride and bridegroom had been
taken away to the railway station. But when the others were gone
Miss Altifiorla remained,--out of kindness. Mrs. Holt need make no
stranger of her, and it would be so desolate for her to be alone.
So surmised Miss Altifiorla. "I suppose," said she, when she had
fastened up the pink ribbons so that they might not be soiled by the
trifle with which she prepared to regale herself while she asked the
question, "I suppose that he knows all the story about that other
man?"

"Why should he?" asked Mrs. Holt in a sharp tone that was quite
uncommon to her.

"Well; I do not know much about such things, but I presume it is
common to tell a gentleman when anything of that kind has occurred."

"What business has he to know? And what can it matter? Perhaps he
does know it."

"But