'I am much happier,' said Eugene.

'Much better too, I hope?'

Eugene turned his eyes towards Lizzie, as if to spare her, and answered
nothing.

Then, they all stood around the bed, and Mr Milvey, opening his book,
began the service; so rarely associated with the shadow of death; so
inseparable in the mind from a flush of life and gaiety and hope and
health and joy. Bella thought how different from her own sunny little
wedding, and wept. Mrs Milvey overflowed with pity, and wept too. The
dolls' dressmaker, with her hands before her face, wept in her golden
bower. Reading in a low clear voice, and bending over Eugene, who kept
his eyes upon him, Mr Milvey did his office with suitable simplicity.
As the bridegroom could not move his hand, they touched his fingers with
the ring, and so put it on the bride. When the two plighted their troth,
she laid her hand on his and kept it there. When the ceremony was done,
and all the rest departed from the room, she drew her arm under his
head, and laid her own head down upon the pillow by his side.

'Undraw the curtains, my dear girl,' said Eugene, after a while, 'and
let us see our wedding-day.'

The sun was rising, and his first rays struck into the room, as she came
back, and put her lips to his. 'I bless the day!' said Eugene. 'I bless
the day!' said Lizzie.

'You have made a poor marriage of it, my sweet wife,' said Eugene. 'A
shattered graceless fellow, stretched at his length here, and next to
nothing for you when you are a young widow.'

'I have made the marriage that I would have given all the world to dare
to hope for,' she replied.

'You have thrown yourself away,' said Eugene, shaking his head. 'But you
have followed the treasure of your heart. My justification is, that you
had thrown that away first, dear girl!'

'No. I had given it to you.'

'The same thing, my poor Lizzie!'

'Hush! hush! A very different thing.'

There were tears in his eyes, and she besought him to close them. 'No,'
said Eugene, again shaking his head; 'let me look at you, Lizzie, while
I can. You brave devoted girl! You heroine!'

Her own eyes filled under his praises. And when he mustered strength to
move his wounded head a very little way, and lay it on her bosom, the
tears of both fell.

'Lizzie,' said Eugene, after a silence: 'when you see me wandering away
from this refuge that I have so ill deserved, speak to me by my name,
and I think I shall come back.'

'Yes, dear Euge