"I suppose it's only a natural feeling on such an occasion as this," she said, "but I really do feel as if something were going to happen. Things have gone on so smoothly up to this morning--no disappointments from milliners, no stupid mistakes on the part of those railway people--everything has gone upon velvet; and now it is coming to the crisis I am quite nervous." Of course every one declared this was perfectly natural, and recommended his or her favourite specific--a few drops of sal-volatile--a liqueur-glass of dry curacoa--red lavender--chlorodyne--and so on; and then Lady Laura laughed and called herself absurd, and hurried away to array herself in a pearl-coloured silk, half smothered by puffings of pale pink areophane and Brussels-lace flounces; a dress that was all pearly gray and rose and white, like the sky at early morning. Mr. Armstrong, Mr. Granger, with some military men and country squires, took their breakfast as calmly as if a wedding were part of the daily business of life. Miss Granger exhibited a polite indifference about the great event; Miss Lovel was pale and nervous, not able to give much attention to Daniel Granger, who had contrived to sit next her that morning, and talked to her a good deal, with an apparent unconsciousness of the severe gaze of his daughter, seated exactly opposite to him. Clarissa was glad to make her toilet an excuse for leaving Mr. Granger; but once in the sanctuary of her own room, she sat down in an absent manner, and made no attempt to begin dressing. Fosset, the maid, found her there at a quarter past ten o'clock--the ceremony was to take place at eleven--and gave a cry of horror at seeing the toilet uncommenced. "Good gracious me, miss! what have you been thinking of? Your hair not begun nor nothing! I've been almost torn to bits with one and another--Miss Fermor's maid bothering for long hair-pins and narrow black ribbon; and Jane Roberts--Lady Emily Challoner's maid--who really never has anything handy, wanting half the things out of my work-box--or I should have been with you ever so long ago. My Lady would be in a fine way if you were late." "I think my hair will do very well as it is, Fosset," Clarissa said listlessly. "Lor, no, miss; not in that dowdy style. It don't half show it off." Clarissa seated herself before the dressing-table with an air of resignation rather than interest, and the expeditious Fosset began her work. It was done very speedily--that wealth of hair was so easy to dress; there was no artful manipulation of long hair-pins and black ribbon needed to unite borrowed tresses with real ones. The dress was put on, and Clarissa was invited to look at herself in the cheval-glass.