Mr. Pierce cleared his throat and remarked:  “The development of marriage customs and ceremonies from primeval days is one of the most curious and—­”

“What a lovely wedding it has been!” said Dorothy, heaving a sigh of fatigue and pleasure combined.

“Wasn’t it!” went up a chorus from the whole party, except Mr. Pierce, who looked eminently disgusted.

“As I was remarking—­” began Mr. Pierce again.

“But the best part,” said Watts, who was lolling on one of the lounges, “was those ‘sixt’ ward presents.  As Mr. Moriarty said; ’Begobs, it’s hard it would be to find the equal av that tureen!’ He was right!  Its equal for ugliness is inconceivable.”

“Yet the poor beggars spent eight hundred dollars on it” sighed Lispenard, wearily.

“Relative to the subject—­” said Mr. Pierce.

“And Leonore told me,” said a charmingly-dressed girl, “that she liked it better than any other present she had received.”

“Oh, she was more enthusiastic,” laughed Watts, “over all the ‘sixt’ ward and political presents than she was over what we gave her.  We weren’t in it at all with the Micks.  She has come out as much a worshipper of hoi-polloi as Peter.”

“I don’t believe she cares a particle for them,” said our old friend, the gentlemanly scoundrel; “but she worships them because they worship him.”

“Well,” sighed Lispenard, “that’s the way things go in life.  There’s that fellow gets worshipped by every one, from the Irish saloon-keeper up to Leonore.  While look at me!  I’m a clever, sweet-tempered, friendly sort of a chap, but nobody worships me.  There isn’t any one who gives a second thought for yours truly.  I seem good for nothing, except being best man to much luckier chaps.  While look at Peter!  He’s won the love of a lovely girl, who worships him to a degree simply inconceivable.  I never saw such idealization.”

“Then you haven’t been watching Peter,” said Mrs. D’Alloi, who, as a mother, had no intention of having it supposed that Leonore was not more loved than loving.

“Taking modern marriage as a basis—­” said Mr. Pierce.

“Oh,” laughed Dorothy, “there’s no doubt they are a pair, and I’m very proud of it, because I did it.”

“Cock-a-doodle-doo!” crowed Ray.

“I did,” said Dorothy, “and my own husband is not the one to cast reflection on my statement.”

“He’s the only one who dares,” said Ogden.

“Well, I did.  Leonore would never have cared for such a silent, serious man if I hadn’t shown her that other women did, and—­”

“Nonsense,” laughed Ogden.  “It was Podds did it.  Dynamite is famous for the uncertainty of the direction in which it will expend its force, and in this case it blew in a circle, and carried Leonore’s heart clear from Newport to Peter.”

“Or, to put it scientifically,” said Lispenard, “along the line of least resistance.”