nds
to her face as if to clear away a mist, and looked around.

But Mrs. Middleton had hurried to the door and was calling:

"Here, Alice! Laura! 'Gena! Lotty! Where are you?"

Receiving no answer, she flew to the bell and rang it and brought
Claudia's maid to the room.

"Ruth, hurry to the young ladies' room and give my compliments, and ask
them to come here as soon as possible! Miss Merlin is not yet dressed."

The girl went on her errand and Mrs. Middleton turned again to Claudia:

"Not even eaten your breakfast yet. Oh, Claudia!" and she poured out a
cup of coffee and handed it to her niece.

And Claudia drank it, because it was easier to do so than to
expostulate.

At the moment that Claudia returned the cup the door opened and the four
bridesmaids entered--all dressed in floating, cloud-like, misty white
tulle, and crowned with wreaths of white roses and holding bouquets of
the same.

They laid down their bouquets, drew on their white gloves and fluttered
around the bride and with their busy fingers quickly dressed her
luxuriant black hair, and arrayed her stately form in her superb bridal
dress.

This dress was composed of an under-skirt of the richest white satin and
an upper robe of the finest Valenciennes lace looped up with bunches of
orange flowers. A bertha of lace fell over the satin bodice. And a long
veil of lace flowed from the queenly head down to the tiny foot. A
wreath of orange flowers, sprinkled over with the icy dew of small
diamonds, crowned her black ringlets. And diamonds adorned her neck,
bosom, arms, and stomacher. Her bouquet holder was studded with
diamonds, and her initials on the white velvet cover of her prayer-book
were formed of tiny seed-like diamonds.

No sovereign queen on her bridal morn was ever more richly arrayed. But,
oh, how deadly pale and cold she was!

"There!" they said triumphantly, when they had finished dressing her,
even to the arranging of the bouquet of orange flowers in its costly
holder and putting it in her hand. "There!" And they wheeled the tall
Psyche mirror up before her, that she might view and admire herself.

She looked thoughtfully at the image reflected there. She looked so long
that Mrs. Middleton, growing impatient, said:

"My love, it is time to go."

"Leave me alone for a few minutes, all of you! I will not keep you
waiting long," said Claudia.

"She wishes to be alone to offer up a short prayer before going to be
married," was th