hurch.

At last the service drew to a close, and the guests got into their
carriages to drive back to Portman Square where the wedding breakfast
was to take place.

One of the enormous reception rooms had been beautifully decorated with
sprays of real orange blossom from Lord Beaufort's hot house and many
other bridal decorations. A magnificent breakfast was then partaken of,
every article being of the highest quality for Mulberry Beaufort prided
himself on never half doing things.

The guests then repaired to another room to inspect Gladys's wedding
presents, which were numerous and costly.

And so the day wore on and 5 o'clock found Gladys, Mulberry, Helen,
Mina, Lionel and Lawrence all at the railway station waiting for the
boat train to take Gladys and Mulberry to Newhaven for whence they were
to cross the channel.

Gladys's travelling dress was extremely pretty being made of pale blue
grey which suited her very well.

At last the train came slowly into the station and the happy pair got
in.

The goodbyes were brief and cheerful, good luck being wished on every
side.

Mulberry expected to be in London again by the end of Febuary and by
that time Helen and Lawrence would probably be one.

At last the whistle sounded and those left on the platform watched the
train till it rushed into the tunnel, and then they turned and went on
to the opposite platform to take the train for Norfolk.

It was a long journey and they were all tired when they got there.

The brougham had been sent to meet them and though the others all knew
the road to their house so perfectly, Helen looked out of the window
with a new interest for it was all strange to her.

After a drive of 1/4 of an hour or more the carriage drew up in front of
a fine old house standing rather back from the road and with a beautiful
carriage sweep in front. In the moonlight it presented a very pretty
picture.

Before the coachman had time to ring Lawrence had jumped out and opened
the front door.

They then crossed the hall and entered the drawing room a beautifully
furnished room.

Mrs. Lincarrol was reading by the fire when they all entered. She was a
very tall thin woman with reddy coloured hair done very high on her head
and small winky blue eyes. Her features were fairly good, but she was
powdered profusely and indeed her hair looked as though it had seen a
good many bottles of hair dye. She was attired in an evening dress of
purple velvit tr