"No, you must not think of refusing, Cousin Ronald!" exclaimed Edward and his sister Elsie, speaking simultaneously. "Indeed no," said Mr. Horace Dinsmore; "we can assure you of a hearty welcome, and my sister, as Zoe says, would be by no means pleased should we fail to take you along with us. But since the first division of our company does not start for two weeks, there will be abundance of time to hear from her on the subject." "Certainly there will, uncle," responded Edward. "I shall write to mamma to-night. Several of us have heard from her to-day by telegraph, Cousin Ronald, and we think we shall surely have letters soon." Then followed the story of the telegrams received that day, and the guesses and surmises as to whose wedding they were invited to attend. Mr. Lilburn was evidently much interested and more than willing to yield to their persuasions to accompany them to Viamede. "Well, friends and cousins," he said, "there is scarce anything I can think of at this moment that would delight me more than to gang with you to see them at that lovely spot--an earthly paradise, as it may well be called. I am somewhat fatigued the now, but rest for a few days--the days that must come and go afore you start--will no doubt supply the needed strength for the new journey; and the wedding festivities to follow will not come amiss even to a man of my ain venerable age." "No, indeed!" exclaimed Zoe, "I should think not. Surely people of any age may enjoy gay and festive scenes and doings. It has always been a source of regret to me that Edward's and my nuptials were graced by none of them." "Possibly there may be better luck for you next time, my dear," remarked Edward laughingly. "Indeed I want no next time," she returned with spirit. "I've no intention of trying a second husband lest I might do worse than I did in taking you." "It strikes me there might be a possibility of doing very much worse, my dear niece," remarked Mr. Horace Dinsmore pleasantly. "As it does me," responded Zoe, with a proudly affectionate look into her young husband's eyes. "I am glad to hear it," was his answering remark, given with a smiling, affectionate glance into the bright, sweet face. For the next two weeks Zoe and the other ladies of the connection were very delightfully busy with their preparations for the wedding. Letters had come telling that Betty was, as had been conjectured, the prospective bride; also who was to be the groom, where the ceremony was to take place, the bridal feast to be partaken of, with other interesting particulars. The dresses of bride, bridesmaids, and maids of honor were not described, as they would be seen by all the relatives at, if not before, the wedding.