ore, took the
bride and bridegroom on their tour, and not long after, the guests who
had dispersed after breakfast began to reassemble for the evening dance.
Lucia and Magdalen, at the window of what had been Bella's room, amused
themselves by watching the arrivals and talking over the event of the
morning.

"Did you ever see such a girl as Bella?" said Magdalen. "It seems as if
she could never be serious for a moment. She went off laughing as if she
were just coming back in half an hour."

"Why should not she? She is not going away as some people do, hundreds
of miles from all her old friends."

"No, but then it must be a kind of parting; she will never be with her
sister again as she used to be. I am sure I should have cried. There is
something dreadful in it, I think. It seems like leaving all one's youth
behind."

Magdalen sighed rather affectedly. Lucia laughed.

"People should not marry till they are old, according to that. I don't
quite believe you think so, however. But, you know, Bella always
declared a bride ought not to cry. I wonder if she will be any graver
now she is Mrs. Morton?"

"What do you think Harry says about the doctor?"

"What?"

"He says Bella will find a difference between him and her guardian. Mr.
Bellairs used to let her spend her money just as she liked, and give
away a great deal, but Doctor Morton looks too sharply after the dollars
and cents for that. He never lets himself be cheated out of a farthing,
and never gives anything away."

"I don't like people who are quite so careful, to be sure; but Bella
used to be rather extravagant sometimes."

"Indeed she was. I can't think how she will do, so good-natured as she
is, if her husband is so dreadfully hard."

"Perhaps Harry is mistaken, though. Come, we must go down."

"You will have to dance Maurice's quadrille with Mr. Percy to-night,
Lucia; are not you sorry?"

Lucia blushed. "Poor Maurice!" she said, and they went downstairs.
Magdalen was right. Lucia danced with Percy, and thought no more of
Maurice. The evening passed too quickly; it seemed as if so much
happiness ought to last, but twelve o'clock came, and the elder people
began to disappear. Mrs. Bellairs had left the room where the dancers
were for a few minutes, and Lucia found her, looking tired and worried,
in a small one which was quite deserted.

"I think I ought to go home," she said. "It is getting late. But, dear
Mrs. Bellairs, how dreadfully tired you lo