We shall see.

She went after the last retreating figure and closed and bolted the door.  Then she returned to her dressing bureau, opened a little secret drawer and took from it a tiny jar of rouge, and with a piece of cotton-wool applied it to her deathly-white cheeks until she had produced there an artificial bloom, more brilliant than that of her happiest days, only because it was more brilliant than that of nature.  Then to soften its fire she powdered her face with pearl white, and finally with a fine handkerchief carefully dusted off the superfluous particles.

Having done this, she put away her cosmetics and took from the same receptacle a vial of the spirits of lavender and mixed a spoonful of it with water and drank it off.

Then she returned the vial to its place and locked up the secret drawer where she kept her deceptions.

She gave one last look at the mirror, saw that between the artificial bloom and the artificial stimulant her face presented a passable counterfeit of its long-lost radiance; she drew her bridal veil around so as to shade it a little, lowered her head and raised her bouquet, that her friends might not see the suspicious suddenness of the transformation from deadly pallor to living bloom—­for though Claudia, in an hour of hysterical passion, had discovered this secret of her toilet to Beatrice, yet she was really ashamed of it, and wished to conceal it from all others.

She opened the door, went out, and joined her friends in the hall, saying with a cheerfulness that she had found in the lavender vial: 

“I am quite ready for the show now!”

But she kept her head lowered and averted, for a little while, though in fact her party were too much excited to scrutinize her appearance, especially as they had had a good view of her while making her toilet.

They went down into the drawing room, where the family and their nearest relations were assembled and waiting for them.

Bee was there, looking lovely as usual.  Bee, who almost always wore white when in full dress, now varied from her custom by wearing a glace silk of delicate pale blue, with a white lace mantle and a white lace bonnet and veil.  Bee did this because she did not mean to be mustered into the bride’s service, or even mistaken by any person for one of the bridesmaids.  Beyond her obligatory presence in the church as one of the bride’s family, Bee was resolved to have nothing to do with the sacrilegious marriage.

“Come, my dear!  Are you ready?  How beautiful you are, my Claudia!  I never paid you a compliment before, my child; but surely I may be excused for doing so now that you are about to leave me!  ’How blessings brighten as they take their flight,’” whispered the judge, as he met and kissed his daughter.

And certainly Claudia’s beauty seemed perfectly dazzling this morning.  She smiled a greeting to all her friends assembled there, and then gave her hand to her father, who drew it within his arm and led her to the carriage.