e
it for this. She wore instead a sober gown of a satin sheen with the
rich purplish-red hue of a plum, which set off the dark bloom of her
face by suggestion rather than contrast; but all the boy Richard
noted of her costume was his little gold pencil slung on the long
gold chain around her neck.

Madelon and Burr were married quite early in the morning, in the best
room of the Hautville house, and nobody outside the two families was
bidden to the wedding. After the marriage the bride tied on a
white-muslin apron and passed cake and currant wine; and the great
Hautvilles sitting in sober state around the room, Elvira Gordon in
her black satin and pearls, pretty Dorothy, and Parson Fair partook.

Then the bride went up to her chamber and put on a pelisse of stuff
like her gown, lined with canary-colored satin, and a little cap of
otter and a great muff which she had fashioned herself out of skins
which her brothers had brought home, and took over her arm, since the
day was frosty, a long tippet of otter which she could wind round her
throat, if need be, and came down all equipped for her wedding-journey.

In front of the Hautville house stood waiting a smart chaise with a
fine young horse in the shafts, and the bride and groom came out and
got in and drove away. But first, while Burr was gathering up the
reins, David Hautville's hoarse voice through the open door besought
him to wait, and presently the old man came striding forth with the
skin of a mighty bear which he had slain single-handed years ago, and
which had been his chiefest treasure next to his viol ever since,
kept beside his bed, whence no one dared remove it. He flung it up
into the chaise, and tucked it well in over his daughter's knees.
"Oh, father, I will not take your bearskin!" Madelon cried, and the
tears came into her eyes, for this touched her more than anything;
and the memory of aught that she had ever lacked in tenderness
towards them all seemed to smite her in the face.

"'Tis a sharp day for the time of year, and there'll be a frost
to-night," was all old David Hautville said, and strode back into the
house, keeping his face well turned away.

The horse that Burr drove was a young animal that he had purchased
lately. It was of the stock of the Morgans, and stood with the
faithfulness of a sentinel; but when the signal to start was given
stepped out proudly as if to a battle charge, with eager tossings of
heavy mane and high flings of kne