capacity. Then came the large, roomy vehicle of the good natured
stock broker, occupied by Mr. and Mrs. Cotterell, Horace Barton and Mr.
and Mrs. Denham, who had come up from Devonshire expressly to be present
at the ceremony. Tom Barton and Cousin Kate accepted seats in the
handsome barouche of the Ashburnhams.

The cavalcade reached Westminister Abbey just as the Bishop of Exeter,
attended by two other clergymen, drove up. Quite a number of
aristocratic equipages, with their occupants, had already arrived, and
just as the bride was descending from her carriage, a handsome
cabriolete, driven by the Earl of Castlemere; attended by his groomsman,
Draycott, dashed up at full speed. Quite a large assemblage had gathered
about the cloisters and aisles of the venerable structure, where it had
pleased Miss Effingham to have the marriage solemnized, all anxious to
get a glimpse of the wedding party, as they moved up to the chancel and
took the positions assigned them in front and to the right and left of
the altar, and a fairer scene than the one now presented to their view,
had, by many been rarely, if ever, witnessed. The warm, ruddy light of a
summer's sun, subdued by the gorgeously colored panes of the magnificent
oriel windows above the altar, fell softly, yet brightly, on the richly
dressed groups that composed the bridal party.

Attended by a bevy of young maidens, Edith, in the pride of her womanly
beauty, now fully matured and developed, advanced with a firm step and
knelt before the altar, her symmetrical and perfectly faultless figure
appearing to advantage in a rich white corded silk, with its superb
train of the same material, the whole trimmed with fine old point lace
of the most costly description; nor did the exquisitely worked veil she
wore conceal the tresses of golden brown hair that fell in luxuriant
ringlets on her alabaster shoulders. The magnificent diamonds of the
Begum encircled her fail brow, neck and arms, while pendants of the same
precious stones hung from her small, shell-like ears, their brilliant
prismatic hues shooting forth and glittering with lustrous and dazzling
brilliancy at each movement of the wearer; but far brighter than all was
the glorious rays of the light of love and joy that danced and
scintilated in the deep blue eyes of the bride as she stood forth and
plighted her troth to him she so fondly and devotedly loved, and the
face of the handsome Earl beamed with unclouded happiness