plastered them cunningly, so that all save wilful eyes would have acknowledged the head to be covered.  The man’s only pretension was to a respectable juvenility.  He had a good chest, stout limbs, a face inclined to be jolly.  Mrs. Doria had no cause to be put out of countenance at all by the exterior of her son-in-law:  nor was she.  Her splendid hair and gratified smile made a light in the church.  Playing puppets must be an immense pleasure to the practical animal.  The Forey bridesmaids, five in number, and one Miss Doria, their cousin, stood as girls do stand at these sacrifices, whether happy, sad, or indifferent; a smile on their lips and tears in attendance.  Old Mrs. Todhunter, an exceedingly small ancient woman, was also there.  “I can’t have my boy John married without seeing it done,” she said, and throughout the ceremony she was muttering audible encomiums on her John’s manly behaviour.

The ring was affixed to Clare’s finger; there was no ring lost in this common-sense marriage.  The instant the clergyman bade him employ it, John drew the ring out, and dropped it on the finger of the cold passive hand in a businesslike way, as one who had studied the matter.  Mrs. Doria glanced aside at Richard.  Richard observed Clare spread out her fingers that the operation might be the more easily effected.

He did duty in the vestry a few minutes, and then said to his aunt: 

“Now I’ll go.”

“You’ll come to the breakfast, child?  The Foreys”—­

He cut her short.  “I’ve stood for the family, and I’ll do no more.  I won’t pretend to eat and make merry over it.”

“Richard!”

“Good-bye.”

She had attained her object and she wisely gave way.

“Well.  Go and kiss Clare, and shake his hand.  Pray, pray be civil.”

She turned to Adrian, and said:  “He is going.  You must go with him, and find some means of keeping him, or he’ll be running off to that woman.  Now, no words—­go!”

Richard bade Clare farewell.  She put up her mouth to him humbly, but he kissed her on the forehead.

“Do not cease to love me,” she said in a quavering whisper in his ear.

Mr. Todhunter stood beaming and endangering the art of the hairdresser with his pocket-handkerchief.  Now he positively was married, he thought he would rather have the daughter than the mother, which is a reverse of the order of human thankfulness at a gift of the Gods.

“Richard, my boy!” he said heartily, “congratulate me.”

“I should be happy to, if I could,” sedately replied the hero, to the consternation of those around.  Nodding to the bridesmaids and bowing to the old lady, he passed out.

Adrian, who had been behind him, deputed to watch for a possible unpleasantness, just hinted to John:  “You know, poor fellow, he has got into a mess with his marriage.”

“Oh! ah! yes!” kindly said John, “poor fellow!”

All the puppets then rolled off to the breakfast.