w the colour flitted on her face, and the lines of
brow and lip varied; how she fluttered like a caught bird, and yet a
bird that did not want to fly away. Dolly was frank enough; there was
nothing affected, or often even conscious, about this shy play; it was
the purest nature in sweetest manifestation. Shyness was something
Dolly had never been guilty of with anybody but Mr. Shubrick; it was an
involuntary tribute she constantly paid to him.

CHAPTER XXXVI.

THIS PICTURE AND THAT.

The plan worked, as Dolly had known from the first, that it would. Mrs.
Copley came into it, and then Mr. Copley could not resist. It only
grieved Mrs. Copley's heart that there should be, as she said, no
wedding. "Might as well be married in a barn!" she said.

The barn-like effect was a little taken off by Lord and Lady Brierley's
presence at the ceremony, which to be sure was performed in no barn,
but the pretty village church; and by the breakfast given to Dolly
thereafter at the great house. This was not what Dolly or Mr. Shubrick
had desired. It came about on this wise.

Dolly went to pay a farewell visit of thanks to Lady Brierley and to
her good friend the housekeeper. Sandie accompanied her. Now, Mr.
Shubrick was one of those persons who make their way in all companies.
Lady Brierley, talking to Dolly, eyed the while the figure of the young
officer, his face, and his fine, quiet, frank manners; watched him
talking with her husband, who happened to come in; and also caught with
her practised eye a glance or two of Dolly's. Dolly, be it remarked,
was not shy here; before her noble friends, she neither flushed nor
trembled nor was nervous. But Lady Brierley saw how things were.

"So," said her ladyship at last, when Dolly was about taking
leave,--"you have not told me, but I know it,--you are going home to
get married!"

"That would seem to be the natural order of things," said Sandie, as
Dolly was not immediately ready with her answer; "but we are going to
reverse the terms. We are purposing to be married first and then go
home."

The lady looked at him with a curious mixture of expressions; it was
too early in the century then for an officer of the American navy to be
altogether a pleasant sight to the eyes of an Englishwoman; at the same
time, she could not wholly withhold her liking from this young
officer's fine looks and manly bearing. She turned to Dolly again.

"I hope you are going to ask me to your wedding," s