and Hilary
tossed her head and said that one wedding was enough at the time--she
had no strength to think of two.

"Indeed, my dear, I wonder you are not laid up as it is," said Miss Carr
kindly. "You are on your feet from morning till night, and everyone
comes to you for directions; I am afraid you will break down when the
excitement is over. There is generally a collapse on these occasions.
Have you any idea what you are all going to do after the young couple
have departed?"

"Get the house in order, and go to bed for a week," said Hilary
brightly, flushing with pleasure at Miss Carr's words of praise, and at
the murmur of assent which they had evoked from her companions; but it
appeared that other people were more energetically inclined than
herself, for both Miss Briggs and Raymond seized the opportunity to air
secret plans of their own.

"I wanted to speak to you about that, Mr Bertrand! My sister in
Scarborough is most anxious that I should pay her a visit, and take
Geraldine with me, and I think the sea air would do us both good."

"And I should like to have some shooting with Ferrars in Scotland. He
has asked me so often, and I could just fit it in this year."

Mr Bertrand looked at his two daughters--at Hilary, bright and natty,
but with shadows under her eyes which spoke of the fatigue she would not
acknowledge; then, with an anxious tenderness at Norah, whose unusual
quietness for the last few days he understood better than she suspected.

"Really," he said, "if all the world is going off pleasuring, I don't
see any reason why we should be left behind! What do you say, girls--
shall we go off for a tour on our own account? I think we deserve a
holiday after our hard work and a run on the Continent would do us all
good. Helen, what do you say? Will you come and take care of the
girls? Rayner, I can't tackle three ladies unassisted. You had better
join us, and take care of me!"

"I should certainly not leave the girls to your tender mercies, you
scatter-brained man," said Miss Carr, smiling, as though well pleased at
the suggestion. "You might forget all about them, as as you did on
another memorable occasion, and the consequences would be disastrous.
Yes!--if you take plenty of time, and don't rush about from place to
place, I should be glad of a change myself. This wedding--"

"It is too good of you to include me. Wouldn't I like it!" cried Mr
Rayner, with a smile which made him look qui