all the beautiful pictures
which had been stored there and had formed part of her life, though she
had not valued them. No doubt he meant well; still the explanations
took away and gave nothing to fill the empty place. Soon her mind
wandered and she caught sight of a hat trimmed in a way that was
exceedingly smart and easy enough to copy; so that occupied her
attention until she heard the familiar rustle among the congregation
and the "Now" which gives release.

The clergyman stood near the east window to give the blessing with a
side light slanting across his white surplice, and a thought darted
into Caroline's mind, turning her hot from head to foot--Why, that was
just how the Vicar would stand with the bride and bridegroom before him
at the altar-rails in three weeks' time! And a vision of Laura in her
veil beside Wilson's broad, strong figure gave her a queer, unhappy
feeling of irritation and pain; yet somehow she wanted to indulge the
pain--to press it in upon her senses by dwelling on it.

Then her healthier instincts suddenly revolted. "It's nothing to me.
I aren't jealous of another girl getting married! I could be married
myself to-morrow if that's all." But deep within her she felt it was
not all; so rising abruptly she went out, not looking again at the
chancel.

Miss Ethel came forth more deliberately, nodding to one here and there
among the townspeople as she passed under the porch into the cool
evening, but her salutations were not acknowledged with the appearance
of gratification or respect which she had seen accorded to her parents
years ago--young people from shops and post-offices nodded off-handedly
back, or at most gave a somewhat condescending "Good evening, Miss
Wilson," feeling in their confident youth and independence that it was
they who had done her the favour.

It was all so different; that constant burden of her thoughts---- And
as she walked home through the end of the sunset, the forlorn
restlessness of the cat turned out of its basket and forced to wander
in cold, strange places seized upon her again. She could not formulate
her unease excepting by that one phrase: it was all so different.

When she reached home, Mrs. Bradford looked up with a sort of solid
expectancy: "Well, did you have a good sermon?"

"I suppose so. The Vicar was not there. The man we had explained to
us that there was no heaven and no God, so I suppose he was very
clever."

Mrs. Bradford stared, th