which sum she, ignorant and unsuspicious, took gratefully, merely
saying "he was very kind."

She now looked round on her sole worldly possessions--the large trunk
which contained her ordinary apparel, and the smaller one, in which
were packed all she needed for her fortnight's marriage tour. Her
traveling dress lay on the bed--a plain dark silk--her only silk gown
except the marriage one. She let Mrs. Ferguson array her in it, and
then, with her usual mechanical orderliness, began folding up the
shining white draperies and laying them in the larger trunk.

"Shall I send that direct to the Lodge, my dear?"

Christian looked up absently.

"To Saint Bede's Lodge--you know--that it may be ready
for you when you come home?"

Home--that blessed word which should send a thrill to the heart of any
bride. Alas! this bride heard it quite unheeding, saying only, "Do what
you think best, Mrs. Ferguson."

And then she proceeded to fasten her collar and complete the minutiae
of her dress with that careful neatness which was an instinct with
Christian, as it is with all womanly women, though how this poor
motherless girl had ever learned womanliness at all was a marvel. She
answered chiefly in soft monosyllables to the perpetual stream of Mrs.
Ferguson's talk, till at last the good soul could no longer restrain
herself.