er bridegroom, lavishing on him the more
marks of deference and submission just because she knew that her will
would be law, and that his love was strong enough to have borne with any
amount of caprice or seeming neglect. The sacrifices she made, without
his knowledge, for his convenience and comfort, while he imagined hers to
be solely consulted, the concessions she made to his slightest wish, the
entire absence of all teasing, would not have been granted to a younger
man more prepossessing in the sight of others.

It was in this spirit that she rejected all advice to consult health
rather than custom in her wedding dress. Exactly because Mr. Prendergast
would have willingly received her in the plainest garb, she was bent on
doing him honour by the most exquisite bridal array; and never had she
been so lovely--her colour such exquisite carnation, her eyes so
softened, and full of such repose and reliance, her grace so perfect in
complete freedom from all endeavour at attracting admiration.

The married pair came back from church to Owen's sitting-room--not bear
and monkey, not genie and fairy, as he had expected to see; but as they
stood together, looking so indescribably and happily one, that Owen
smiled and said, 'Ah! Honor, if you had only known twenty years ago that
this was Mrs. Peter Prendergast, how much trouble it would have saved.'

'She did not deserve to be Mrs. Peter Prendergast,' said the bride.

'See how you deserve it now.'

'That I never shall!'

Brother and sister parted with light words but full hearts, each trying
to believe, though neither crediting Mr. Prendergast's assurance that the
two Owens should come and be at home for ever if they liked in Santa
Maria de X---. Neither could bear to face the truth that henceforth
their courses lay apart, and that if the sister's life were spared, it
could only be at the sacrifice of expatriation for many years, in lands
where, well or ill, the brother had no call. Nor would Lucilla break
down. It was due to her husband not to let him think she suffered too
much in resigning home for him; and true to her innate hatred of
agitation, she guarded herself from realizing anything, and though
perfectly kind and respectful to Honora, studiously averted all
approaches to effusion of feeling.

Only at the last kiss in the hall, she hung round her friend with a
vehement embrace, and whispered, 'Forgive! You have forgiven!'

'Forgive me, Lucilla!'

'Nay,