“Why, Claudia, is it possible?  Not commenced dressing yet, and everybody else ready, and the clock on the stroke of ten!  What have you been thinking of, child?”

Claudia started like one suddenly aroused from sleep, threw her hands to her face as if to clear away a mist, and looked around.

But Mrs. Middleton had hurried to the door and was calling: 

“Here, Alice!  Laura!  ’Gena!  Lotty!  Where are you?”

Receiving no answer, she flew to the bell and rang it and brought Claudia’s maid to the room.

“Ruth, hurry to the young ladies’ room and give my compliments, and ask them to come here as soon as possible!  Miss Merlin is not yet dressed.”

The girl went on her errand and Mrs. Middleton turned again to Claudia: 

“Not even eaten your breakfast yet.  Oh, Claudia!” and she poured out a cup of coffee and handed it to her niece.

And Claudia drank it, because it was easier to do so than to expostulate.

At the moment that Claudia returned the cup the door opened and the four bridesmaids entered—­all dressed in floating, cloud-like, misty white tulle, and crowned with wreaths of white roses and holding bouquets of the same.

They laid down their bouquets, drew on their white gloves and fluttered around the bride and with their busy fingers quickly dressed her luxuriant black hair, and arrayed her stately form in her superb bridal dress.

This dress was composed of an under-skirt of the richest white satin and an upper robe of the finest Valenciennes lace looped up with bunches of orange flowers.  A bertha of lace fell over the satin bodice.  And a long veil of lace flowed from the queenly head down to the tiny foot.  A wreath of orange flowers, sprinkled over with the icy dew of small diamonds, crowned her black ringlets.  And diamonds adorned her neck, bosom, arms, and stomacher.  Her bouquet holder was studded with diamonds, and her initials on the white velvet cover of her prayer-book were formed of tiny seed-like diamonds.

No sovereign queen on her bridal morn was ever more richly arrayed.  But, oh, how deadly pale and cold she was!

“There!” they said triumphantly, when they had finished dressing her, even to the arranging of the bouquet of orange flowers in its costly holder and putting it in her hand.  “There!” And they wheeled the tall Psyche mirror up before her, that she might view and admire herself.

She looked thoughtfully at the image reflected there.  She looked so long that Mrs. Middleton, growing impatient, said: 

“My love, it is time to go.”

“Leave me alone for a few minutes, all of you!  I will not keep you waiting long,” said Claudia.

“She wishes to be alone to offer up a short prayer before going to be married,” was the thought in the heart of each one of the party, as they filed out of the room.

Did Claudia wish to pray?  Did she intend to ask God’s protection against evil?  Did she dare to ask his blessing on the act she contemplated?