t at the wedding, also that Miss Pynsent had sent a very
charming and affectionate letter to her future sister-in-law. But
whether Lettice had written to him and told him of her intentions and
opinions, Mrs. Hartley did not know.

CHAPTER XXXI.

AMBITION AT THE HELM.

Sydney Campion and Anna Pynsent were married early in September, while
Lettice was still in Italy. There had been a death in the Pynsent family
since the death of Sydney's mother, and Nan was not sorry to make this a
pretext for arranging every thing in the simplest possible manner. She
had no bridesmaids, and did without a wedding-feast; and, strange to
say, Sydney was perfectly well content.

For it might have been expected that Sydney--with whom the roots of
worldliness and selfishness had struck very deep--would desire a wedding
that would make a noise in the world, and would not be satisfied with a
bride in a severely simple white dress and a complete absence of all
display. But it seemed as if all that was good in his character had been
brought to the surface by a marriage which his club-friends chuckled
over as so absolutely unexceptionable from a worldly point of view. For
almost the first time in his life he was a little ashamed of his
worldliness. His marriage with Nan Pynsent was making--or so he
thought--everything easy for him! His selfishness was pampered by the
girl's adoring love, by her generosity, even by her beauty and her
wealth; and it recoiled upon itself in an utterly unexpected way.
Finding life no longer a battle, Sydney became suddenly ashamed of some
of his past methods of warfare; and, looking at his betrothed, could
only breathe a silent and fervent aspiration that she might never know
the story of certain portions of his life.

He was thoroughly in love with his wife; and--what was more important in
a man of his temperament--he admired as well as loved her. Her personal
charm was delightful to him, and the high-bred quietness of her manner,
the refinement of her accent, the aroma of dignity and respect which
surrounded the Pynsent household in general, were elements of his
feeling for her as strong as his sense of her grace and beauty. With his
high respect for position and good birth, it would have been almost
impossible for him to yield his heart for long to a woman in a lower
grade of society than his own; even a woman who might be considered his
equal was not often attractive to him; he preferred one--other
c