``You darling!'' breathed Bertram again; this
time, however, he let her go.

``But, honestly, is it all necessary?'' he sighed
despairingly, as she seated herself and gathered
the table-cloth into her lap. ``Do you have to do
so much of it all?''

``I do,'' smiled Billy, ``unless you want your
brother to run the risk of leading his bride to
the altar and finding her robed in a kitchen
apron with an egg-beater in her hand for a
bouquet.''

Bertram laughed.

``Is it so bad as that?''

``No, of course not--quite. But never have
I seen a bride so utterly oblivious to clothes as
Marie was till one day in despair I told her that
Cyril never could bear a dowdy woman.''

``As if Cyril, in the old days, ever could bear
any sort of woman!'' scoffed Bertram, merrily.

``I know; but I didn't mention that part,''
smiled Billy. ``I just singled out the dowdy
one.''