d just come into
the room after taking Rose and her mother up to Jervis's room; and
lastly good old Anna Bauer, who sat a little apart by herself, staring
with a strange, rather wild look at the group of people standing before
her.

To Anna's excited mind, they did not look like a wedding party; they
looked, with the exception of Miss Forsyth, who wore a light grey silk
dress trimmed with white lace, like people waiting to start for a
funeral.

No one spoke, with the exception of Lady Blake, who occasionally
addressed a nervous question, in an undertone, to Mrs. Robey.

At last there came the sound of the front door opening and shutting. Mr.
Robey went out, rather hurriedly, and his wife exclaimed, "I think that
must be the Dean. My husband is taking him upstairs----" And then she
waited a moment, and glanced anxiously at her brother-in-law, Sir
Jacques. It was strange how even she, who had never particularly liked
Sir Jacques, looked to him for guidance to-day.

In answer to that look he moved forward a little, and made a queer
little sound, as if clearing his throat. Then, very deliberately, he
addressed the people before him.

"Before we go upstairs," he began, "I want to say something to you all.
I cannot help noticing that you all look very sad. Now of course I don't
ask you to try and look gay during the coming half-hour, but I do
earnestly beg of you to try and feel happy. Above all--" and he looked
directly at Lady Blake as he spoke--"above all," he repeated, "I must
beg of you very earnestly indeed to allow yourselves no show of emotion.
We not only hope, but we confidently expect, that our young friends are
beginning to-day what will be an exceptionally happy, and--and----" he
waited for a moment, then apparently found the word he wanted--"an
exceptionally harmonious married life. I base that view of what we all
believe, not on any exaggerated notion of what life generally brings to
the average married couple, but on the knowledge we possess of both
these young people's characters. Nothing can take away from Jervis Blake
his splendid past, and we may reasonably believe that he is going to
have with this sweet, brave young woman, who loves him so well, a
contented future."

Again Sir Jacques paused, and then not less earnestly he continued: "I
want Jervis Blake to look back on to-day as on a happy and hallowed day.
If anyone here feels that they will not be able to command themselves,
then I beg him or