Sir Julian felt no doubt of it.
His sympathies with Mark, already lively, became acute the following morning when bride and bridegroom-elect suddenly appeared in his study with the purpose of expressing their gratitude for the extremely liberal cheque that had been Sir Julian and Lady Rossiter's wedding-gift to Iris.
"Douglas and I have been nearly quarrelling the whole way here as to how we'll spend it," said Miss Easter candidly.
"Hardly quarrelling, have we?" reproachfully asked Mr. Garrett, as usual addressing himself exclusively to his betrothed.
"Oh, we've never really quarrelled yet, have we? At least," said Iris archly, "unless you count the copper tea-kettle time."
"Ah! The copper tea-kettle!" responded Mr. Garrett meaningly.
At which reference they both, according to their wont, indulged in the hearty laughter, naturally unshared by Sir Julian, of those to whom some perfectly obvious allusion is amusingly intelligible.
"We've actually settled the great question of bridesmaids, Sir Julian," observed Iris, an easy victim to the not uncommon bridal delusion that such details must be of major interest to all alike.
"Your friend in London?"
"Oh, no! She doesn't approve of marriage, you know. She thinks it a mere servile bond for the woman," explained Iris glibly. "In fact, she's a tremendous advocate for Free Love. She's furious with me for marrying at all."