after dinner to walk across
the park in the dark," said Ayala, when the matter was discussed
before the Colonel's coming.

"It is a law, my dear," said Lady Albury, "and has to be obeyed
whether you understand it or not, like other laws. Mr. Greene will be
with him, so that no one shall run away with him in the dark. Then he
will be able to go into church without dirtying his dress boots."

"But I thought there would be half-a-dozen carriages at least."

"But there won't be room in one of them for him. He is to be nobody
until he comes forth from the church as your husband. Then he is to
be everybody. That is the very theory of marriage."

* * * * * *

"I think we managed it all very well between us," said Lady Albury
afterwards, "but you really cannot guess the trouble we took."

"Why should there have been trouble?"

"Because you were such a perverse creature, as the old lady said.
I am not sure that you were not right, because a girl does so often
raise herself in her lover's estimation by refusing him half-a-dozen
times. But you were not up to that."

"Indeed I was not. I am sure I did not intend to give any trouble to
anybody."

"But you did. Only think of my going up to London to meet him, and of
him coming from Aldershot to meet me, simply that we might put our
heads together how to overcome the perversity of such a young woman
as you!" There then came a look almost of pain on Ayala's brow. "But
I do believe it was for the best. In this way he came to understand
how absolutely necessary you were to him."

"Am I necessary to him?"

"He thinks so."

"Oh, if I can only be necessary to him always! But there should have
been no going up to London. I should have rushed into his arms at
once."

"That would have been unusual."

"But so is he unusual," said Ayala.

It is probable that the Colonel did not enjoy his days at Stalham
before his marriage, except during the hour or two in which he was
allowed to take Ayala out for a last walk. Such days can hardly be
agreeable to the man of whom it is known by all around him that he
is on the eve of committing matrimony. There is always, on such
occasions, a feeling of weakness, as though the man had been subdued,
brought at length into a cage and tamed, so as to be made fit for
domestic purposes, and deprived of his ancient freedom amongst
the woods;--whereas the girl feels herself to be the triumphant
conqueror, who has