When the ceremony was over, Ned kissed Katy, and her father kissed her,
and the girls and Dorry and Phil; and then, without waiting for any one
else, she left her place and went straight to where Cousin Helen lay on
her sofa, watching the scene with those clear, tender eyes in which no
shadow of past regrets could be detected. Katy knelt down beside her, and
they exchanged a long, silent embrace. There was no need for words between
hearts which knew each other so well.

After that for a little while all was congratulations and good wishes. I
think no bride ever carried more hearty good-will into her new life than
did my Katy. All sorts of people took Ned off into corners to tell him
privately what a fortunate person he was in winning such a wife. Each
fresh confidence of this sort was a fresh delight to him, he so thoroughly
agreed with it.

"She's a prize, sir!--she's a prize!" old Mr. Worrett kept repeating,
shaking Ned's hand with each repetition. Mrs. Worrett had not been able to
come. She never left home now on account of the prevailing weakness of
carryalls; but she sent Katy her best love and a gorgeous broom made of
the tails of her own peacocks.

"Aren't you sorry you are not going to stay and have a nice time with us
all, and help eat up the rest of the cake?" demanded Clover, as she put
her head into the carriage for a last kiss, two hours later.

"Very!" said Katy; but she didn't look sorry at all.

"There's one comfort," Clover remarked valiantly, as she walked back to
the house with her arm round Rose's waist. "She's coming back in
December, when the ship sails, and as likely as not she will stay a year,