ed march likewise. But in
restoring his arm to Suke, Tim noticed that her full and blooming
countenance had undergone a change. "Holloa! me dear--what's the
matter?" said Tim.

"Nothing to speak o'," said she. But to give the lie to her assertion
she was seized with lachrymose twitches, that soon produced a dribbling
face.

"How--what the devil's this about!" exclaimed the bridegroom.

"She's a little wee bit overcome, poor dear!" said the first
bridesmaid, unfolding her handkerchief and wiping Suke's eyes.

"I never did like parting from people!" said Suke, as soon as she could
speak.

"Why him in particular?"

"Well--he's such a clever doctor, that 'tis a thousand pities we
sha'n't see him any more! There'll be no such clever doctor as he in
New Zealand, if I should require one; and the thought o't got the
better of my feelings!"

They walked on, but Tim's face had grown rigid and pale, for he
recalled slight circumstances, disregarded at the time of their
occurrence. The former boisterous laughter of the wedding-party at the
groomsman's jokes was heard ringing through the woods no more.

By this time Fitzpiers had advanced on his way to the top of the hill,
where he saw two figures emerging from the bank on the right hand.
These were the expected ones, Grace and Marty South, who had evidently
come there by a short and secret path through the wood. Grace was
muffled up in her winter dress, and he thought that she had never
looked so seductive as at this moment, in the noontide bright but
heatless sun, and the keen wind, and the purplish-gray masses of
brushwood around.

Fitzpiers continued to regard the nearing picture, till at length their
glances met for a moment, when she demurely sent off hers at a tangent
and gave him the benefit of her three-quarter face, while with
courteous completeness of conduct he lifted his hat in a large arc.
Marty dropped behind; and when Fitzpiers held out his hand, Grace
touched it with her fingers.

"I have agreed to be here mostly because I wanted to ask you something
important," said Mrs. Fitzpiers, her intonation modulating in a
direction that she had not quite wished it to take.

"I am most attentive," said her husband. "Shall we take to the wood
for privacy?"

Grace demurred, and Fitzpiers gave in, and they kept the public road.

At any rate she would take his arm? This also was gravely negatived,
the refusal being audible to Marty.

"Why not?" he inqui