Lady Wathin was an active agent in this excitement.  The excellent woman enjoyed marriages of High Life:  which, as there is presumably wealth to support them, are manifestly under sanction:  and a marriage that she could consider one of her own contrivance, had a delicate flavour of a marriage in the family; not quite equal to the seeing a dear daughter of her numerous progeny conducted to the altar, but excelling it in the pomp that bids the heavens open.  She and no other spread the tidings of Miss Asper’s debating upon the step to Rome at the very instant of Percy Dacier’s declaration of his love; and it was a beautiful struggle, that of the half-dedicated nun and her deep-rooted earthly passion, love prevailing!  She sent word to Lady Dunstane:  ’You know the interest I have always taken in dear Constance Aspen’ etc.; inviting her to come on a visit a week before the end of the month, that she might join in the ceremony of a wedding ‘likely to be the grandest of our time.’  Pitiful though it was, to think of the bridal pair having but eight or ten days at the outside, for a honeymoon, the beauty of their ’mutual devotion to duty’ was urged by Lady Wathin upon all hearers.

Lady Dunstane declined the invitation.  She waited to hear from her friend, and the days went by; she could only sorrow for her poor Tony, divining her state.  However little of wrong in the circumstances, they imposed a silence on her decent mind, and no conceivable shape of writing would transmit condolences.  She waited, with a dull heartache:  by no means grieving at Dacier’s engagement to the heiress; until Redworth animated her, as the bearer of rather startling intelligence, indirectly relating to the soul she loved.  An accident in the street had befallen Mr. Warwick.  Redworth wanted to know whether Diana should be told of it, though he had no particulars to give; and somewhat to his disappointment, Lady Dunstane said she would write.  She delayed, thinking the accident might not be serious; and the information of it to Diana surely would be so.  Next day at noon her visitor was Lady Wathin, evidently perturbed and anxious to say more than she dared:  but she received no assistance.  After beating the air in every direction, especially dwelling on the fond reciprocal affection of the two devoted lovers, to be united within three days’ time, Lady Wathin said at last:  ’And is it not shocking!  I talk of a marriage and am appalled by a death.  That poor man died last night in the hospital.  I mean poor Mr. Warwick.  He was recovering, getting strong and well, and he was knocked down at a street-crossing and died last night.  It is a warning to us!’

’Mr. Redworth happened to hear of it at his Club, near which the accident occurred, and he called at the hospital.  Mr. Warwick was then alive,’ said Lady Dunstane; adding:  ’Well, if prevention is better than cure, as we hear!  Accidents are the specific for averting the maladies of age, which are a certain crop!’