at the house opposite. "Quite a smart affair it was—with a glass 'earse. . . ."
And our little procession of three carriages with white-favour-adorned horses and drivers, went through all the huge, noisy, indifferent traffic like a lost china image in the coal-chute of an ironclad. Nobody made way for us, nobody cared for us; the driver of an omnibus jeered; for a long time we crawled behind an unamiable dust-cart. The irrelevant clatter and tumult gave a queer flavour of indecency to this public coming-together of lovers. We seemed to have obtruded ourselves shamelessly. The crowd that gathered outside the church would have gathered in the same spirit and with greater alacrity for a street accident. . . .
At Charing Cross—we were going to Hastings—the experienced eye of the guard detected the significance of our unusual costume and he secured us a compartment.
"Well," said I as the train moved out of the station, "That's all over!" And I turned to Marion—a little unfamiliar still, in her unfamiliar clothes—and smiled.
She regarded me gravely, timidly.
"You're not cross?" she asked.
"Cross! Why?"
"At having it all proper."
"My dear Marion!" said I, and by way of answer took and kissed her white-gloved, leather-scented hand. . . .
I don't remember much else about the journey, an hour or so it was of undistinguished time—for we were both confused and a little fatigued and Marion had a slight headache and did not want caresses. I fell into a reverie about my aunt, and realized as if it
