ed Babs to chatter to her about
the insect world, which had now practically gone to sleep; and about the
delights of the time when their chrysalides, which they had put away so
carefully in the butterfly-case, should burst out into living and
beautiful things.

The day before the wedding came, and the whole house was in pleasant
bustle and confusion. Nearly all the presents had arrived by this time.
The school children had come up to the Rectory in a body to present
Hilda with a very large and gaudily decorated photographic album; the
Rectory servants had given the bride-elect a cuckoo-clock; Miss Mills
had blushed as she presented her with a birth-day book bound in white
vellum; "Carter Patterson's" people were tired of coming up the avenue
with box after box; and Aunt Marjorie was tired of counting on her
fingers the names of the different friends who were sure to remember
such an important event as Hilda Merton's wedding.

But for Aunt Marjorie, Hilda would have given herself to Jasper in a
very quiet and unobtrusive fashion. But this idea of a wedding was such
intense grief to the old lady that Hilda and Jasper, rather against
their wills, abandoned it, and Hilda was content to screen her lovely
face behind a white veil, and to go to church decked as a bride should.

"It is positively economical to get a proper wedding dress," said Aunt
Marjorie; "you'll want it for the parties you'll go to during your first
season in town, Hilda. Of course Lady Malvern, Jasper's aunt, will
present you, and the dress with a little alteration will do very well to
go to the Drawing Room in. I shall desire the dressmaker to make the
train quite half a yard extra, on purpose."

Aunt Marjorie had her way, and was sufficiently happy in her present
life to forget the dull days which must follow, and to cease to think
of the deserted house when Hilda, and wealth, and luxury, went away.

It was the evening before the wedding-day, when Babs came solemnly into
the room where her sister was sitting, and presented her with her
wedding gift.

"It's darning-cotton," said Babs, in her gentle, full, satisfied
fashion. "Sutton said it would be useful, and that Jasper wouldn't scold
you if you had it handy."

"What treason are you talking, Babs?" asked Quentyns, who was standing
by Hilda's side.

He stooped down, and mounted her on his shoulder.

"Sutton says that husbands always scold their wives," said Babs.

"Nonsense, child! Sutton doe