Then followed
a little whispering with Pin, and he caught his friend's arm, as his
fellow-conspirator led her sister away.

"This is madness," groaned Richard, as he yielded to his friend's touch,
and they walked rapidly away. "Oh, Franky, you contrived this."

"To be sure I did," said Pratt, grinning; "and you shall have another
dose to cure you both, if you are good. But, quick; now, then, look a
man. Here we are."

Richard walked steadily up to the house, where he was pleased to find
that all the servants' faces were new. Humphrey met him at the door,
and Mr and Mrs Lloyd were in the hall ready to approach timidly, as
the young man gravely kissed the late housekeeper, and shook hands with
Lloyd.

Polly was in the drawing-room, for it was to be a very homely,
unconventional marriage; and she blushed warmly on encountering the
former owner of the place.

"I wish you every happiness, my dear," said Richard, to set her at ease;
and he bent down and kissed her. "Humphrey has told me of your good
little heart."

"And you will listen to him, Mr Lloy--Trevor?" said the girl, mixing
the two names together.

"Time to go," said Humphrey; and he handed Polly, Mrs Lloyd, and her
husband into the first carriage, which was kept back while he, Richard,
and Pratt entered the other, and were driven off to the church.

In spite of the endeavours to keep the affair quiet, the little
churchyard was crowded, and it was a harder trial for Richard even than
he had expected, to hear the whisperings, and receive the friendly nods
and bows from so many of those who knew him well.

But he bore it all in a calm, manly fashion; shook hands warmly with Mr
Mervyn, who had come with a white favour in his button-hole; stood best
man to Humphrey; and after little Polly, but a week before at school,
had been given away by her uncle, and, the wedding over, the carriage
had driven back with the bride and bridegroom, he took his place again
quite calmly, shook hands with those who clustered round, and was driven
away.

Everything went off well; and at the simple wedding breakfast, when
called upon, Richard, in a very manly speech, wished health and
happiness to the bride and bridegroom. Humphrey responded, broke down,
tried again, broke down again, and then, leaving his place, crossed to
where Richard sat, grasped his hand, and in a voice choking with
emotion, exclaimed--

"Master Dick, I'm speaking for my wife as well as myself whe