he path outside
with green rushes and wild iris, and as they passed, those who had
emptied their baskets ran back and picked up hasty armfuls of the
scattered flowers, and ran on in front and strewed them again, so that
for quite a long way their progress was one of gradually diminishing
splendour.

But past the gap in the road, which led across country to the Red
House, no flower-strewers came. For there the excited chatterers broke
and whirled through like a flight of sea-pies, and made straight for
the field of more substantial delights lest the boys should secure all
the best places.

The wedding-party, however, having disdained the use of carriages for
so short a distance, strolled quietly along the scented lanes, past
the Boys' School, and by the Carrefour, with no apprehension of the
feast beginning until they arrived, or of being relegated to back
seats if they were late.

The cottage and the Red House had been buzzing hives since dawn, Mrs.
Carre handling her forces and volunteers and supernumeraries with the
skill of a veteran, and with encouragement so shrill and animated that
it sounded like scolding, but was in reality only emphatic patois.

She had, indeed, left matters in the hands of certain tried elders
while she sped across the fields to the church for a few minutes, just
to see that everything there was done properly and in order. But she
was back in the thick of things before the wedding-party reached home,
and everything was ready and in apple-pie order for a merry-making
such as Sark had not seen for many a day.

First, the children were settled at their long tables in the field
behind the house, with good things enough in front of them, and active
assistants enough behind them, to keep them quiet for a good long time
to come.

Graeme and Margaret went round bidding them all enjoy themselves to
their fullest, which they cheerfully promised to do, and the eager
youngsters gave them back wish for wish, with one eye for them and one
for the unusual dainties on the tables.

"Hello, Johnnie!" said Graeme to that young man, gorging stolidly,
with a palpable interval between him and his neighbour on either hand,
but with no other visible signs of wizardry about him. "Getting on all
right?"

But there was no room for speech in Johnnie's mouth just then. He
winked one black eye solemnly and devoted himself to the business in
hand.

And Punch and Scamp, accepted favourites of the host and hostes