ed, and after this the preparations for the marriage went on
rapidly. But where such a large transaction is concerned as the sale
of between three and four thousand acres of land, copyhold and
freehold, together with sundry rent-charges and the lordship of six
manors, things cannot be done in a minute.

Both George and Philip and their respective lawyers--Sir John would
have nothing to do with the matter--did their best to expedite
matters, but unfortunately some legal difficulty arose in connection
with the transfer, and who can hurry the ponderous and capricious
machinery of the law?

At length it became clear to all concerned, except Angela, that it
would be impossible for the marriage to take place before the eighth
of June, and it also became clear that that was the last possible day
on which it could take place. George begged Philip (by letter, being
too ill to come and see him) to allow the marriage to be gone through
with at once, and have the business transactions finished afterwards.
But to this Philip would not consent; the title-deeds, he said, must
be in his possession before it took place, otherwise he would have no
marriage. George had therefore no option but to accept his terms.

When Angela was told of the date fixed for the ceremony--she would not
allow the word marriage to be mentioned in connection with it--she at
first created considerable consternation by quietly announcing that
she would not have it performed until the tenth of June. At last,
however, when matters were growing serious, and when she had treated
all the pressure that it was possible to put upon her with quiet
indifference--for, as usual, her father declined to interfere, but
contented himself with playing a strictly passive part--she suddenly
of her own mere motion, abolished the difficulty by consenting to
appear before the registrar on the eighth of June, as George wished.

Her reasons for having objected to this date in the first instance
will be easily guessed. It was the day before the anniversary of
Arthur's departure, an anniversary which it was her fancy to dedicate
solely to his memory. But as the delay appeared--though she could not
altogether understand why--to put others to great inconvenience, and
as George's state of health had become such as to render postponement,
even for a couple of days of doubtful expediency, and as, moreover,
she decided on reflection that she could better give her thoughts to
her dead lover