g in her, Hesper could not
have told; as it was, she sat staring after her, unable even to think.
Just as she reached the door, however, she turned quickly, and, with
the smile of a hearty, innocent child, or something very like it, ran
back to Hesper, threw her arms round her, and said:

"There, now! I've done for you what I could: I have made you forget the
odious man for a moment. I was curious to know whether I could not make
a bride forget her bridegroom. The other thing is too easy."

"What other thing?"

"To make a bridegroom forget his bride, of course, you silly
child!--But there I am, off again! when really it is time to be
serious, and come to the only important point in the matter.--In what
shade of purity do you think of ascending the funeral pyre?--In
absolute white?--or rose-tinged?--or cream-colored!--or
gold-suspect?--Eh, happy bride?"

As she ceased, she turned her head away, pulled out her handkerchief,
and whimpered a little.

"Sepia!" said Hesper, annoyed, "you are a worse goose than I thought
you! What have _you_ got to cry about? _You_ have not got to marry him!"

"No; I wish I had!" returned Sepia, wiping her eyes. "Then I shouldn't
lose you. I should take care of that."

"And am I likely to gain such a friend in Mr. Redmain as to afford the
loss of the only _other_ friend I have?" said Hesper, calmly.

"Ah, Hesper! a sad experience has taught me differently, The moment you
are married to the man--as married you will be--you all are--bluster as
you may--that moment you will begin to change into a wife--a
domesticated animal, that is--a tame tabby. Unwilling a woman must be
to confess herself only the better half of a low-bred brute, with a
high varnish--or not, as the case may be; and there is nothing left her
to do but set herself to find out the wretch's virtues, or, as he
hasn't got any, to invent for him the least unlikely ones. She wants
for her own sake to believe in him, don't you know? Then she begins to
repent having said hard words of the poor gentleman. The next thing, of
course, will be, that you begin to hate the person, to whom you said
them, and to persuade yourself she drew them out of you; and so you
break off all communication with the obnoxious person; who being, in
the present instance, that black-faced sheep, Sepia Yolland, she is
very sorry beforehand, and hates Mr. Redmain with all her heart; first,
because Hesper Mortimer hates him, and next, but twice as much, be