“Caddy is a famous chief bridesmaid—­hasn’t been here to give the least assistance,” observed Esther; “she is not even dressed herself.  I will ring, and ask where she can be—­in the kitchen or supper-room I’ve no doubt.  Where is Miss Ellis?” she asked of the servant who came in answer her summons.

“Downstairs, mem—­the boy that brought the ice-cream kicked over a candy ornament, and Miss Ellis was very busy a shaking of him when I came up.”

“Do beg her to stop,” rejoined Esther, with a laugh, “and tell her I say she can shake him in the morning—­we are waiting for her to dress now; and also tell Mr. De Younge to come here to the door—­I want him.”

Kinch soon made his appearance, in accordance with Esther’s request, and fairly dazzled her with his costume.  His blue coat was brazen with buttons, and his white cravat tied with choking exactness; spotless vest, black pants, and such patent leathers as you could have seen your face in with ease.

“How fine you look, Kinch,” said Esther admiringly.

“Yes,” he answered; “the new vest came home—­how do you like it?”

“Oh, admirable!  But, Kinch, can’t you go down, and implore Caddy to come up and dress—­time is slipping away very fast?”

“Oh, I daren’t,” answered Kinch, with a look of alarm—­“I don’t dare to go down now that I’m dressed.  She’ll want me to carry something up to the supper-room if I do—­a pile of dishes, or something of the kind.  I’d like to oblige you, Mrs. Walters, but it’s worth my new suit to do it.”

Under these circumstances, Kinch was excused; and a deputation, headed by Mr. Walters, was sent into the lower regions to wait upon Caddy, who prevailed upon her to come up and dress, which she did, being all the while very red in the face, and highly indignant at being sent for so often.

“Good gracious!” she exclaimed, “what a pucker you are all in!”

“Why, Caddy, it’s time to be,” replied Esther—­“it wants eight minutes of the hour.”

“And that is just three minutes more than I should want for dressing if I was going to be married myself,” rejoined she; and hastening away, she returned in an incredibly short time, all prepared for the ceremony.

Charlie was very handsomely got up for the occasion.  Emily, Esther, Caddy—­in fact, all of them—­agreed that he never looked better in his life.  “That is owing to me—­all my doings,” said Kinch exultingly.  “He wanted to order his suit of old Forbes, who hasn’t looked at a fashion-plate for the last ten years, and I wouldn’t let him.  I took him to my man, and see what he has made of him—­turned him out looking like a bridegroom, instead of an old man of fifty!  It’s all owing to me,” said the delighted Kinch, who skipped about the entry until he upset a vase of flowers that stood on a bracket behind him; whereupon Caddy ran and brought a towel, and made him take off his white gloves and wipe up the water, in spite of his protestations that the shape of his pantaloons would not bear the strain of stooping.