men, and my
three sisters--ah, that was bad, but there was no helping it--Lady Harriet
Denbigh, and an old maid, a cousin of ours, for bridesmaids; could not
help the old maid either, upon my honor, or be quite certain I would."

How much of what he said Moseley heard, we cannot say; for had he talked
an hour longer he would have been uninterrupted. Lord Henry was too much
engaged with his description to notice his companion's taciturnity or
surprise, and after walking a square or two together they parted; the
sailor being on the wing for his frigate at Yarmouth.

John continued his course, musing on the intelligence he had just heard.
That Denbigh could forget Emily so soon, he would not believe, and he
greatly feared he had been driven into a step, from despair, that he might
hereafter repent of. The avoiding of himself was now fully explained; but
would Lady Laura Stapleton accept a man for a husband at so short a
notice? and for the first time a suspicion that something in the character
of Denbigh was wrong, mingled in his reflections on his sister's refusal
of his offers.

Lord and Lady Herriefield were on the eve of their departure for the
continent (for Catherine had been led to the altar the preceding week), a
southern climate having been prescribed as necessary to the bridegroom's
constitution; and the dowager and Grace were about to proceed to a seat of
the baron's within a couple of miles of Bath. Chatterton himself had his
own engagements, but he promised to be there in company with his friend
Derwent within a fortnight; the former visit having been postponed by the
marriages in their respective families.

John had been assiduous in his attentions during the season of forced
gaiety which followed the nuptials of Kate; and as the dowager's time was
monopolized with the ceremonials of that event, Grace had risen greatly in
his estimation. If Grace Chatterton was not more miserable than usual, at
what she thought was the destruction of her sister's happiness, it was
owing to the presence and unconcealed affection of John Moseley.

The carriage of Lord Herriefield was in waiting when John rang for
admittance. On opening the door and entering the drawing-room, he saw the
bride and bridegroom, with their mother and sister, accoutred for an
excursion amongst the shops of Bond street: for Kate was dying to find a
vent for some of her surplus pin-money--her husband to show his handsome
wife in the face of the wor