lustrated newspapers and a great
glitter of favours and carriages. The bridegroom was most thoughtful and
generous about the Sawbridge side of the preparations. Only one thing
was a little perplexing. In spite of his impassioned impatience he
delayed the wedding. Full of dark hints and a portentous secret, he
delayed the wedding for twenty-five whole days in order that it should
follow immediately upon the publication of the birthday honours list.
And then they understood.

"You will be Lady Harman," he exulted; "_Lady_ Harman. I would have
given double.... I have had to back the _Old Country Gazette_ and I
don't care a rap. I'd have done anything. I'd have bought the rotten
thing outright.... Lady Harman!"

He remained loverlike until the very eve of their marriage. Then
suddenly it seemed to her that all the people she cared for in the world
were pushing her away from them towards him, giving her up, handing her
over. He became--possessive. His abjection changed to pride. She
perceived that she was going to be left tremendously alone with him,
with an effect, as if she had stepped off a terrace on to what she
believed to be land and had abruptly descended into very deep water....

And while she was still feeling quite surprised by everything and
extremely doubtful whether she wanted to go any further with this
business, which was manifestly far more serious, out of all proportion
more serious, than anything that had ever happened to her before--and
_unpleasant_, abounding indeed in crumpling indignities and horrible
nervous stresses, it dawned upon her that she was presently to be that
strange, grown-up and preoccupied thing, a mother, and that girlhood and
youth and vigorous games, mountains and swimming and running and
leaping were over for her as far as she could see for ever....

Both the prospective grandmothers became wonderfully kind and helpful
and intimate, preparing with gusto and an agreeable sense of delegated
responsibility for the child that was to give them all the pride of
maternity again and none of its inconveniences.

CHAPTER THE FIFTH

THE WORLD ACCORDING TO SIR ISAAC

Sec.1

Her marriage had carried Ellen out of the narrow world of home and
school into another that had seemed at first vastly larger, if only on
account of its freedom from the perpetual achievement of small
economies. Hitherto the urgent necessity of these had filled life with
irksome precautions and clipped the wi