in proud dejection as she meditated on
the strangeness of things. Her daughter's wedding; and a detective and a
journeyman printer among the honored guests! The homely disgrace of it
quite bowed the heart of Mrs. Hanway-Harley. She was taken doubly aback
when she learned that Mr. Gwynn was on his way to England, and therefore
not to attend.

"It would have pleased me," said Mrs. Hanway-Harley mournfully, "had Mr.
Gwynn been present. His absence is peculiarly a blow."

"I'm sure," said Richard, putting on a look of innocent slyness, like a
lamb engaged in intrigue, "had I known that you might feel Mr. Gwynn's
going away, I would have kept him with us."

Mrs. Hanway-Harley elevated her polite brows. Richard would have kept
Mr. Gwynn with them! What manner of mystery was this?

Richard's present to Dorothy was a superb, nay a matchless set of
rubies, the like of which did not dwell in the caskets of Queen or
Empress. Mrs. Hanway-Harley, herself no apprentice in the art of gems,
could not estimate their value. They lay in her hands like red
fire--jewels above price! Mrs. Hanway-Harley could only gaze and gaze,
while Richard's look of slyness gained in lamblike intensity.

Mr. Bayard came down from New York the day before; he must have a
business talk with Richard. It would be impossible, in releasing Mr.
Harley and Senator Hanway from their obligations as members of the
osprey pool, to avoid an explanation. In running over the affair in his
mind, Mr. Bayard was convinced that the reprieved pair must be told the
truth of their capture and release.

Richard, whose powers of original judgment had diminished in exact
proportion as he neared the wedding day, and who now, with the ceremony
only hours away, owned no judgment at all, gave Mr. Bayard leave to do
as he would. He was to tell Mr. Harley and Senator Hanway, Mr. Sands and
Inspector Val, as much or as little as he chose. Richard drew relief
from the reflection that, whatever the disclosures, he, Richard, at the
time they were made would be safe on the wide Atlantic.

The wedding offered a rich study in expression. Richard was pale but
firm, and if his knees shook the aspen disgrace of it didn't show in his
face. Dorothy was radiantly happy--beautiful and unabashed. Somehow, a
wedding never fails to bring out the strength of your true woman. Bess
was splendidly responsible; she showed plainly that she considered the
wedding the work of her hands, and was bound to se