"Quite well, doctor," said the young man addressed, as he passed his hand over his crisp golden beard, and smiled pleasantly at the medical man, whose eyes were playing all over the room, and who now crossed to where the young bride was standing. "I say," he exclaimed, "I did not congratulate you in the church. God bless you, my dear! may you be very happy. And only the other day you were a baby, eh?" He nodded, smiled, and passed on to where a very elderly-looking fair young man, elaborately dressed, was talking to a stout mamma--the mother of two of the bridesmaids. The withered-looking gentleman, who blinked a good deal, and seemed as if the light was too strong for him, turned to speak to the doctor as he approached. "Well," said the latter--"better?" "Yas, I think so; yas, doctor, but you know I can't think what ails my constitution." "I can," thought the doctor, as he turned away looking sharply round the room; "luxury, late hours, too much money, and nothing sensible to do. _Blase_ fool! Oh, there she is." He crossed as quickly as the crowded state of the room would allow him to where Lady Maude was standing, and made her start as he said sharply-- "I say, when's your turn coming?" "Never, I hope, doctor," was the reply, as a little hand was placed in his, "never, if it is to make me so wretched as poor darling Di. Do say something kind to her if you have a chance." "Hum--ha--yes," he said thoughtfully, as he retained the little hand and seemed to be examining a patient. "Don't seem bright, eh?" "Oh, no, doctor," whispered Maude. "But I'm so glad you've come." "That's right, my dear; I would come. So I will when you are married-- the same as I did when you were born," he said to himself. Then aloud--"I say, when you marry, my dear, you marry for love." "I will, doctor," cried the girl with her blue eyes flashing, and just then Luigi of the organ struck up a languishing waltz. "But I really am so glad you've come. Do talk to papa and cheer him up. He is so low-spirited. Couldn't you give him a tonic?" "Wish I could," said the doctor. "Tincture of youth. No, my dear. I can't make the old young. Glad I've come, eh? There's my little friend Tryphie yonder. But they are going to move, I see." Her ladyship was still very pensive, and gazed appealingly round from one to the other of her guests; but her eyes were wonderfully wide open, and she moved about like a domestic field-marshal determined to carry out her social campaign with _eclat_. "Sir Grantley," she said, softening her voice down to a contralto coo as she laid her fan on the arm of the elderly young man, whose face on one side was all eye-glass and wrinkles, on the other blank, "will you take down my daughter?" "Charmed, I'm shaw," was the hesitating reply, as a puzzled look came over the baronet's face; "but her husband, don't you know?" "I mean Lady Maude," said her ladyship, with a winning smile.