In the matter of an early marriage, both Derrick's father and he whom we

have known as the Marquess, were on Derrick's side; indeed, the sick man

was, if possible, more anxious than the others that the wedding should

take place without delay.

"I want everything settled before--before I go, Wilfred," he said.

"Something of the burden on my mind--not all! Ah, not all--will be

lifted, if I can know that I shall, under Providence, leave the

succession settled. You and I are old men, Wilfred--I am very near the

grave. It is our duty to see, as far as lies within our power, that the

future of the house is set upon a sound foundation. Your son, Derrick,

Advertisement..

will be a worthy successor; Celia--I need say nothing in her praise; she

has won all our hearts, and she will lend a lustre to the title that

will come to her."

A fortnight is not a long time in which to prepare the trousseau of a

future Marchioness; but, with Lady Gridborough's enthusiastic

assistance, Celia did her best; though, it must be confessed, she did

not attach so much importance to this matter of the trousseau as it

usually demands and receives from the bride elect; in fact, though Lady

Gridborough has been described as an assistant, she bore the lion's

share of the business, while Celia, as Lady Gridborough expressed it, in

homely language, "gadded about, and mooned" with her lover.

She wanted a quiet wedding, but the church was full, and some ardent

spirits had insisted upon decorating it, and an avenue of children,

clothed in white and armed with flower blossoms to throw upon the

pathway of the bride. Reggie was best man; and, consciously or

unconsciously, had the air of one who had brought about the whole

affair.

"If you had fixed the date a day later," he confided to Derrick, as he

helped him into the regulation frock coat, and impressed upon him the

solemn fact that the wedding ring was in the right-hand pocket of his

waistcoat, "you'd have had to find another best man; for Susie and I are

going to be married to-morrow at a quiet little church not a hundred

miles from here. Ours is going to be really a quiet wedding: bride and

bridegroom; parson, pew-opener and perhaps two sniffling children. We

are going straight to France; address uncertain. And we're going to live

there--that's one of the advantages of my profession, one of the

precious few advantages; you can carry it on anywhere."

"I'm glad," said Derrick, as he wrung Reggie's hand. "No wonder you look

so happy to-day: and I thought it was on my account!"




Most Popular