ld mien of head in the air, to the admiration of
Mrs. Anglin, who watched them descend the stairs.

"She is as haughty-looking as our own ladyship," she thought to herself.
"I wonder how his lordship likes that!"

The great hall was a survival of the time of Henry IV with its dais to
eat above the salt, and a magnificent stone fireplace, and an oak screen
and gallery of a couple of centuries later. The tables were laid down
each side, as in the olden time, and across the dais; and here, in the
carved oak "Lord" and "Lady" chairs, the bride and bridegroom sat with a
principal tenant and his wife on either side of them, while the powdered
footmen served them with lunch.

And all the time, when one or two comic incidents happened, she longed
to look at Tristram and laugh; but he maintained his attitude of cold
reserve, only making some genial stereotyped remark, when it was
necessary for the public effect.

And presently the speeches began, and this was the most trying moment of
all. For the land-steward, who proposed their healths, said such nice
things; and Zara realized how they all loved her lord, and her anger at
herself grew and grew. In each speech from different tenants there was
some intimate friendly allusion about herself, too, linking her always
with Tristram; and these parts hurt her particularly.

Then Tristram rose to answer them in his name and hers. He made a
splendid speech, telling them that he had come back to live among them
and had brought them a beautiful new Lady--and here he turned to her a
moment and took and kissed her hand--and how he would always think of
all their interests in every way; and that he looked upon them as his
dear old friends; and that he and Lady Tancred would always endeavor to
promote their welfare, as long as the radicals--here he laughed, for
they were all true blue to a man--would let them! And when voices
shouted, "We want none of them rats here," he was gay and chaffed them;
and finally sat down amidst yells of applause.

Then an old apple-cheeked farmer got up from far down the table and made
a long rambling harangue, about having been there, man and boy, and his
forbears before him, for a matter of two hundred years; but he'd take
his oath they had none of them ever seen such a beautiful bride brought
to Wrayth as they were welcoming now; and he drank to her ladyship's
health, and hoped it would not be long before they would have another
and as great a feast for t