returned together to Holly Street, where a meal had been prepared in
the front parlours, the landlady having generously placed them at the
disposal of her lodgers for the occasion. There was a good deal of
banter and side jokes were bandied about from one to another; which
was galling to young Chetwynd, and made him devoutly thankful that
none of his own companions and friends were present. When at last
Bella rose from the table to change her gown for the pale grey he
himself had chosen, with the big hat and nodding plumes in which she
had looked such a dainty little mortal, he pushed his chair back with
a look of disgust on his face and left them to talk amongst
themselves.

Saidie was distributing small pieces of wedding cake, laughing and
screaming at the top of her voice.

"Saikes, man! you are not to eat it. Put it under your pillow and as
sure as I'm a Yank you'll see your intended," she cried. And then
followed an amount of vulgar chaff and coarse pleasantry which caused
the "happy man" to set his teeth hard and register a vow at the
bottom of his heart that this should be the last occasion on which
his wife should associate with her sister's friends.

And then Bella came tripping down the narrow staircase, her cheeks
warm with a pale pink colour that made her inexpressibly lovely; and
the carriage which Mrs. Blackall had insisted upon ordering to take
the young couple to the station was at the door, and in the bustle
that ensued Jack lost sight of all annoyances and remembered only
that he had married the girl he loved and that he was the happiest
fellow in the universe; and amid a shower of rice and a white satin
slipper (one of Saidie's), which fell right into Bella's lap; the