they chatted. For the boy who brought it had not been admitted
into Miss Moore's room, and, not knowing what else to do with it,
was lingering before her door, with the great streamers falling
from his hands, and the lilies making the whole place heavy with a
sickening perfume. From what I heard the ladies say, he had been
standing there an hour, and the timid knock he gave from time to
time produced in me an odd feeling which those ladies behind me
seemed to share.

"'It's a shame!' I heard one of them cry. 'Veronica Moore has no
excuse for such thoughtlessness. It is an hour now that she has
been shut up in her room alone. She won't have even her maid in.
She prefers to dress alone, she says. Peculiar in a bride, isn't
it? But one thing is certain: she can not put on her veil without
help. She will have to call some one in for that.' At which the
other volunteered that the Moores were all queer, and that she
didn't envy Francis Jeffrey. 'What! not with fifty thousand a
year to lighten her oddities?' returned her companion with a shrug
which communicated itself to me, so closely were we packed together.
'I have a son who could bear with them under such circumstances.'
Indeed she has, and all Washington knows it, but the remark passed
without comment, for they had not yet exhausted the main event, and
the person they now attacked was Miss Tuttle. 'Why doesn't she
come and see that that bouquet is taken in? I declare it's not
decent. Mr. Jeffrey would not feel complimented if he knew the fate
of those magnificent lilies and roses. I presume he furnished the
bouquet.'

"'Miss Tuttle has looked out of her room once,' I heard the other
reply. 'She is in splendid beauty to-day, but pale. But she
never could control Veronica.' 'Hush! you speak louder than you
think' This amused me, and I do believe that in another moment I
should have laughed outright if another boy had not appeared in
the hall before us, who, shoving aside the first, rapped on the
door with a spirit which called for answer. But he was no more
successful than the other boy had been; so, being a brisk fellow,
with no time for nonsense, he called out, 'Your bouquet, Miss, and
a message, which I am to give you before you go downstairs! The
gentleman is quite particular about it.' These words were
literally shouted at the door, but in the hubbub of voices about
us I don't believe any one heard them but ourselves and the bride.
I know th