ng was sure to be attended. Every one
knew of excellent and respectable couples who had not been known to be
married till the knot had been tied for several days or weeks--so that
there was nothing in this to shock the bride. And as usual she did as
she was told, and let Mr. Hargrave lead her by her finger-tips towards
Mr. Belamour's apartments. Mrs. Aylward was waiting in the lobby, with
a fixed impassive countenance, intended to imply that though obedient
to the summons to serve as a witness, it was no concern of hers. On the
stairs behind her the maids were leaning over the balusters, stuffing
their aprons into their mouths lest their tittering should betray them.

The sitting-room was nearly, but not quite, dark, for a lamp, closely
shaded, cast a dim light on a Prayer-book, placed on a small table,
behind which stood poor Mr. Greaves--a black spectre, whose white bands
were just discernible below a face whose nervous, disturbed expression
was lost in the general gloom. He carefully avoided looking at the
bride, fearing perhaps some appeal on her part such as would make his
situation perplexing. Contempt and poverty had brought his stamp of
clergymen very low, and rendered them abject. He had been taken by
surprise, and though assured that this was according to my Lady's will,
and with the consent of the maiden's father, he was in an agony of
fright, shifting awkwardly from leg to leg, and ruffling the leaves
of the book, as a door opened and the bridegroom appeared, followed by
Jumbo.

Aurelia looked up with bashful eagerness, and saw in the imperfect light
a tall figure entirely covered by a long dark dressing-gown, a grey,
tight curled lawyer's wig on the head, and the upper part of the face
sheltered from the scanty rays of the lamp by a large green shade.

Taking his place opposite to her as Mr. Hargrave arranged them, he bowed
in silence to the clergyman, who, in a trembling voice, began the rite
which was to unite Amyas Belamour to Aurelia Delavie. He intended to
shorten the service, but his nervous terror and the obscurity of the
room made him stumble in finding the essential passages, and blunder in
dictating the vows, thus increasing the confusion and bewilderment of
poor little Aurelia. Somehow her one comfort was in the touch of the
hand that either clasped hers, or held the ring on her finger--a strong,
warm, tender, trustworthy hand, neither as white nor as soft as she
would have expected, but giving