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marriage" and "our bride," and each member of the community took
a personal interest in the proceedings, and felt implicated in the
subsequent failure or success of the venture.

Of course they all confessed that it was a bold thing for Miss
Josephine to be the third wife of a man--some of the more prudish
pursed their lips and said they wondered how she could, and they
wondered yet more how Mrs. Harrowby ever allowed it, and why, if Mr.
Dundas must marry again (but they thought he might be quiet now), he
had not taken a stranger, instead of one who had been mixed up as it
were with his other wives--but seeing that her day was passed, the
majority, as has been said, held that she was in the right to take
what she could get, and to marry even as a third wife was better than
not to marry at all. And then the neighborhood knew Sebastian Dundas,
and knew that although he had been foolish and unfortunate in his
former affairs, there was no harm in him. If his second wife had died
mysteriously, North Aston was generous enough not to suppose that he
had poisoned her; and who could wonder at that dreadful Pepita having
a stroke, sitting in the sun as she did on such a hot day, and so fat
as she was? So that Mr. Dundas was exonerated from the suspicion
of murder in either case, if credited with an amount of folly and
misfortune next thing to criminal; and "our marriage" was received
with approbation, the families sending tribute and going to the church
as the duty they owed a Harrowby, and to show Sebastian that they
considered he had done wisely at last, and chosen as was fitting.

There was a little mild waggery about the future name of Ford
House, and the bolder spirits offered shilling bets that it would be
rechristened "Josephine Lodge" before the year was out. But save this
not very scorching satire, which also was not too well received by
the majority, as savoring of irreverence to consecrated powers, the
country looked on in supreme good-humor, and the day came in its
course, finding as much social serenity as it brought summer sunshine.

It was a pretty wedding, and everybody said that everybody looked very
nice; which is always comforting to those whose souls are stitched up
in their flounces, and whose happiness and self-respect rise or
fall according to the becomingness of their attire. The village
school-children lining the churchwalk strewed flowers for the bride's
material and symbolic path. Dressed in a mix