For the Rock Quay neighbourhood was in a state of excitement over a letter from Mrs. White, of Rocca Marina, announcing the approaching marriage of Mr. White’s niece, Maura, with Lord Roger Grey, a nephew of dear Emily’s husband, and heir to the Dukedom. The White family were coming home for the wedding, and the interest entirely eclipsed that of Gillian Merrifield’s. In fact, though that young lady somewhat justified the Oxford stories, she was in a state of much inward agitation between real love for Ernley, and pain in leaving home, so she put on an absolutely imperturbable demeanour. Her reserve and dread of comments made her so undemonstrative and repressive to her Captain that there were those who doubted whether she cared for him at all, or only looked on her wedding as a mediæval maiden might have done, as coming naturally a few years after she had grown up. Ernley Armytage knew better, and so did her parents. The wedding was hurried on by Captain Armytage’s appointment to a frigate on the coast of Southern America, where he had to join at once, in lieu of a captain invalided home; and Gillian accepted the arrangements, which would take her to Rio, “as much a matter of course,” said her aunt, “as if she had been a wife for ten years.” Her uncle, Mr. Mohun, was anxious that the marriage of his sister Lily’s daughter should take place at the family home, Beechcroft. If there had been scruples, chiefly founded on the largeness of the party, and the trouble to Mrs. Mohun, these were forgotten in the convenience of being out of the way of Rockstone gossip, as well as for other reasons. “I should certainly have escaped,” said General Mohun. “I have no notion of meeting that unmitigated scamp.” “Mr. White ought to be warned,” said Jane. “You’ll do so, I suppose; and much good it will be.” “I do not imagine that it will. It will be too charming to surpass Franciska and Ivinghoe; but if neither you nor Jasper will speak to old Tom, I shall deliver my conscience to Ada.” “And be advised to mind your own business.” Nevertheless, Jane Mohun did deliver her conscience, when, on the day after the arrival, there had been loud lamentations over the intended absence of the Merrifield family. “It would have looked well to make it a double wedding, all in the family,” said Mr. White. To which Miss Mohun only answered by a silence which Mrs. White was unwilling to break, but Maura exclaimed— “But I thought Valetta would be sure to be my bridesmaid. Such friends as we were at the High School!” It did not strike Miss Mohun that the friendship had been very close or very beneficial; but Adeline added, “We thought she would pair so well with Vera Prescott, and then uncle will give all the dresses—white silk with cerise trimmings. We ordered them in Paris.” “Uncle Tom is so generous!” said Maura. “There is no end to his kindness. I’ll go and unpack some of the patterns, that Miss Mohun may see them.”