silence. When about a hundred yards from the Alton Road
Chapel, Mrs. Bindle demanded of Bindle that he throw away his cigar,
which he did with great reluctance.

There was a small collection of women and children outside the chapel
doors.

"There!" exclaimed Mrs. Bindle suddenly.

"Where?" enquired Bindle, looking first to the right and left, then on
the ground and finally up at the sky.

"I knew we should be late," said Mrs. Bindle. "There's the carriage."

At that moment a two-horse carriage bearing Mr. Hearty and Millie
passed by, and drew up at the entrance to the chapel. Mr. Hearty's
white kid-gloved hand appeared out of the window, fumbling with the
handle of the carriage. A moment later his silk hat, adorned with a
deep black band, appeared; still the carriage-door refused to open.
Suddenly as if out of sheer mischief it gave way, and Mr. Hearty
lurched forward, his hat fell off and rolled under the carriage. A
stray dog, that had been watching the proceedings, dashed for the hat,
just at the moment that Mr. Hearty hurriedly stepped out to retrieve
his headgear. Mr. Hearty's foot came down upon the dog's paw. The
animal gave a heart-rending howl, Mr. Hearty jumped, the people
laughed, and the dog continued to howl, holding up its wounded paw.

Mr. Hearty, however, was intent upon the recapture of his hat. With
his silver-mounted umbrella, he started poking beneath the carriage to
try and coax it towards him. An elderly gentleman, seeing the mishap,
had approached from the other side of the carriage and, with his
stick, was endeavouring to achieve the same object. The result was
that, as soon as one drew the hat towards him, the other immediately
snatched it away again.

"It's like a game of 'ockey," said Bindle who had come up at this
moment. "Go it, 'Earty, you got it!"

Mrs. Bindle tore at Bindle's arm, just as the benevolent gentleman
succeeded in securing Mr. Hearty's hat. Mr. Hearty dashed round to the
other side of the carriage, snatched his damaged headgear from the
hands of the stranger, and stood brushing it upon the sleeve of his
coat.

"Excuse me, sir!" said the stranger.

"But it's my hat," said Mr. Hearty, endeavouring to restore something
of its lost glossiness.

Mr. Hearty had apparently forgotten all about the bride, and it was
Bindle who helped Millie from the carriage, and led her into the
chapel. Mrs. Bindle reminded Mr. Hearty of his duty. Putting his hat
on his head, he entered