He held out his hand, and Val mechanically shook it. The retreating steps of Mr. Carr, following in the wake of Dr. Ashton, were heard, as Lord Hartledon spoke again to the clergyman with irritable sharpness: "Why don't you begin?" And the countess-dowager fanned herself complacently, and neither she nor Maude cared for the absence of a groomsman. But Maude was not quite hardened yet; and the shame of her situation was tingeing her eyelids. CHAPTER XVIII. THE STRANGER. Lord Hartledon was leading his bride through the chapel at the conclusion of the ceremony, when his attention was caught by something outside one of the windows. At first he thought it was a black cat curled up in some impossible fashion, but soon saw it was a dark human face. And that face he discovered to be Mr. Pike's, peering earnestly in. "Hedges, send that man away. How dare he intrude himself in this manner? How has he got up to the window?" For these windows were high beyond the ordinary height of man. Hedges went out, a sharp reprimand on his tongue, and found that Mr. Pike had been at the trouble of carrying a heap of stones from a distance and piling them up to stand upon. "Well, you must have a curiosity!" he exclaimed, in his surprise. "Just put those stones back in their places, and take yourself away." "You are right," said the man. "I have a curiosity in all that concerns the new lord. But I am going away now." He leaped down as he spoke, and began to replace the stones. Hedges went in again. The carriage, waiting to convey them away, was already at the door, the impatient horses pawing the ground. Maude changed her dress with all speed; and in driving down the road by starlight they overtook Thomas Carr, carrying his own portmanteau. Lord Hartledon let down the window impulsively, as if he would have spoken, but seemed to recollect himself, and drew it up again. "What is it?" asked Maude. "Mr. Carr." It was the first word he had spoken to her since the ceremony. His silence had frightened her: what if he should resent on _her_ the cruel words spoken by Dr. Ashton? Sick, trembling, her beautiful face humble and tearful enough now, she bent it on his shoulder in a shower of bitter tears. "Oh, Percival, Percival! surely you are not going to punish me for what has passed?" A moment's struggle with himself, and he turned and took both her hands in his. "It may be that neither of us is free from blame, Maude, in regard to the past. All we can now do, as it seems to me, is to forget it together, and make the best of the future." "And you will forget Anne Ashton?" she whispered. "Of course I shall forget her. I ask nothing better than to forget her from this moment. I have made _you_ my wife; and I will try to make your happiness."