e was a member of
the family,--a connection rather,--whom no eloquence could induce to
show himself either in the church or at the breakfast. This was Lord
Hampstead. His sister came to him and assured him that he ought to be
there. "Sorrows," she said, "that have declared themselves before the
world are held as sufficient excuse; but a man should not be hindered
from his duties by secret grief."

"I make no secret of it. I do not talk about my private affairs. I do
not send a town-crier to Charing Cross to tell the passers-by that
I am in trouble. But I care not whether men know or not that I am
unfitted for joining in such festivities. My presence is not wanted
for their marriage."

"It will be odd."

"Let it be odd. I most certainly shall not be there." But he
remembered the occasion, and showed that he did so by sending to the
bride the handsomest of all the gems which graced her exhibition of
presents, short of the tremendous set of diamonds which had come from
the Duke of Merioneth.

This collection was supposed to be the most gorgeous thing that had
ever as yet been arranged in London. It would certainly not be too
much to say that the wealth of precious toys brought together would,
if sold at its cost price, have made an ample fortune for a young
newly-married couple. The families were noble and wealthy, and the
richness of the wedding presents was natural. It might perhaps have
been better had not the value of the whole been stated in one of the
newspapers of the day. Who was responsible for the valuation was
never known, but it seemed to indicate that the costliness of the
gifts was more thought of than the affection of the givers; and it
was undoubtedly true that, in high circles and among the clubs, the
cost of the collection was much discussed. The diamonds were known to
a stone, and Hampstead's rubies were spoken of almost as freely as
though they were being exhibited in public. Lord Llwddythlw when he
heard of all this muttered to his maiden sister a wish that a gnome
would come in the night and run away with everything. He felt himself
degraded by the publicity given to his future wife's ornaments. But
the gnome did not come, and the young men from Messrs. Bijou and
Carcanet were allowed to arrange the tables and shelves for the
exhibition.

The breakfast was to take place at the Foreign Office, at which
the bride's father was for the time being the chief occupant. Lord
Persiflage had not at firs