Page 113 (1/1)

Though all these transactions had been widely reported by the Jacksons a sportingto the belief that old Catherine would appear in church, and there was a distinct lowering of the tehter-in-law Mrs Lovell Mingott had the high colour and glassy stare induced in ladies of her age and habit by the effort of getting into a new dress; but once the disappointment occasioned by her reed that her black Chantilly over lilac satin, with a bonnet of Parma violets, formed the happiest contrast to Mrs Welland's blue and pluaunt and ott's ar scarves; and as this last apparition glided into view Archer's heart contracted and stopped beating

He had taken it for granted that the Marchioness Manson was still in Washington, where she had gone some four weeks previously with her niece, Madaenerally understood that their abrupt departure was due to Madame Olenska's desire to reathon Carver, who had nearly succeeded in enlisting her as a recruit for the Valley of Love; and in the circumstances no one had expected either of the ladies to return for the wedding For a moment Archer stood with his eyes fixed on Medora's fantastic figure, straining to see who came behind her; but the little procession was at an end, for all the lesser ht tall ushers, gathering theratory h the side doors into the lobby

"Newland--I say: SHE'S HERE!" the bestti, for the white and rosy procession was in fact half way up the nave, the Bishop, the Rector and thite-winged assistants were hovering about the flower-banked altar, and the first chords of the Spohr sy their flower-like notes before the bride

Archer opened his eyes (but could they really have been shut, as he i to resume its usual task The music, the scent of the lilies on the altar, the vision of the cloud of tulle and orange-blossoht of Mrs Archer's face suddenly convulsed with happy sobs, the low benedictory murht pink brideshts, sounds and sensations, so faless in his new relation to theled in his brain