ny rate through December
and January, alleging that he must be back in town by the beginning
of February;--and this was taken as a fair plea for hastening the
marriage.

When the matter was settled, he went back to Gatherum Castle, as he
had arranged to do with the Duchess, and managed to interest her
Grace in all his proceedings. She promised that she would call on his
bride in town, and even went so far as to send her a costly wedding
present. "You are sure she has got money?" said the Duchess.

"I am not sure of anything," said Lopez,--"except this, that I do
not mean to ask a single question about it. If he says nothing to
me about money, I certainly shall say nothing to him. My feeling is
this, Duchess; I am not marrying Miss Wharton for her money. The
money, if there be any, has had nothing to do with it. But of course
it will be a pleasure added if it be there." The Duchess complimented
him, and told him that this was exactly as it should be.

But there was some delay as to the seat for Silverbridge. Mr. Grey's
departure for Persia had been postponed,--the Duchess thought only
for a month or six weeks. The Duke, however, was of opinion that
Mr. Grey should not vacate his seat till the day of his going was
at any rate fixed. The Duke, moreover, had not made any promise of
supporting his wife's favourite. "Don't set your heart upon it too
much, Mr. Lopez," the Duchess had said; "but you may be sure I will
not forget you." Then it had been settled between them that the
marriage should not be postponed, or the proposed trip to Italy
abandoned, because of the probable vacancy at Silverbridge. Should
the vacancy occur during his absence, and should the Duke consent,
he could return at once. All this occurred in the last week or two
before his marriage.

There were various little incidents which did not tend to make the
happiness of Emily Wharton complete. She wrote to her cousin Mary
Wharton, and also to Lady Wharton;--and her father wrote to Sir
Alured; but the folk at Wharton Hall did not give in their adherence.
Old Mrs. Fletcher was still there, but John Fletcher had gone home to
Longbarns. The obduracy of the Whartons might probably be owing to
these two accidents. Mrs. Fletcher declared aloud, as soon as the
tidings reached her, that she never wished to see or hear anything
more of Emily Wharton. "She must be a girl," said Mrs. Fletcher,
"of an ingrained vulgar taste." Sir Alured, whose letter from Mr.
Whar