lips and palms a sister's salute. Mary Ashburleigh, whom the throng
recognized as a natural empress, was arrayed this morning as brides
are seldom arrayed, but with a sense of artistic obedience to her own
sumptuous nature and personality. The royal purple of her velvets
was cut, on skirt and bodice, into one continuous fretwork of heavy
scrolls and leafage, and through the crevices of this textile carving
shone the robe she carried beneath: it was tawny yellow, for she wore
under her outward dress a complete robe of ancient lace, whose cobweb
softness was more than half sacrificed--only perceived as the slashes
of her velvets made it evident. It was such dressing as queens alone
should indulge in perhaps, but Mary Ashburleigh chose for once to do
justice to her style and her magnificence.

I was leaning against a tree, stunned in the sick sunshine. I heard,
while my eyes were closed, a sort of voluminous cloudy roll, and the
Dark Ladye was beside me. She whispered quickly and volubly in my
ear, "I tried to confide in you, but I could not get it spoken. Yet
I managed to confess that my heart had been touched. It was only this
summer--at the Molkencur over Heidelberg--he lectured about the ruins.
'Twas information--'twas rapture! I found at once he was the Magician.
We were quietly united at the embassy this morning. And now he can
leave that dreadful consulate and has got his promotion, for he is
to be _charge_ here in Brussels. It is sudden, but we were positively
afraid to do it in any other way, I am such a timid creature. When I
saw the travelers' agent on the steamboat, I was at first struck with
his manly British bearing and his resemblance to Sylvester. Then I
found he had the matrimonial prospectus, and perceived he might be a
link. He has managed everything beautifully. I had no idea--With his
assistance you need no more mind being married than going into a shop
for a plate of pudding. You must come up and be presented, to show you
bear no malice."

I cannot tell how I did it, but I allowed Sylvester and the agent to
grasp my hands, one on either side. Berkley, as to his collar, his
cravat, his face and his white gloves, presented one general surface
of mat silver. He clasped me with some affection, but his intellect
had quite gone, and he said it was a fine day.

I did not rally in the least until after my fourth glass of champagne
at the dinner. We made one party: indeed, Mrs. Ashburleigh had brought
her