existence he had previously never heard of, connections by marriage of
the past generation crowded upon him, mothers with marriageable
daughters invited him to their assemblies, young men of his own order
sought to engage him in the various pursuits considered indispensable
among those by whom he now found himself surrounded. When it became
generally known that the new Earl was, beyond the possibility of a
doubt, engaged to be married, the connections just mentioned thought it
right and proper to recognize in Edith Effingham the future Countess of
Castlemere; and, on learning that she was the niece of a baronet, and
heiress, in her own right, to twenty thousand a year, she was sought
after and made much of by the aristocratic relatives of her affianced
husband, for the privilege of entering, as honoured guests, such places
as Vellenaux and Carlton Abbey was not to be lost for the want of a
little tact and polite attention to the bride elect, and so Edith's
circle of female friends enlarged rapidly, and it was from among these
that she selected the eight young beauties who were to act as
bridesmaids on her marriage day, now fast approaching.

The Bishop of Exeter, who had been well acquainted with Arthur's father,
offered his services on the interesting occasion, which were gladly
accepted. Exactly at 11 a.m., the family carriage of the Bartons,
containing Edith, Pauline Barton, and three of the bridesmaids, left
Berkly Square. In a second were seated the other five ladies acting in
that capacity. Then came the large, roomy vehicle of the good natured
stock broker, occupied by Mr. and Mrs. Cotterell, Horace Barton and Mr.
and Mrs. Denham, who had come up from Devonshire expressly to be present
at the ceremony. Tom Barton and Cousin Kate accepted seats in the
handsome barouche of the Ashburnhams.

The cavalcade reached Westminister Abbey just as the Bishop of Exeter,