When the ceremony was ended, and the bride and bridegroom had departed, Martin joined the one other person who had been present--Pauline.
'Your plans for leaving are matured?' he said.
'So far matured,' she said, with a sad smile, 'that the cab with my luggage is at the end of the street, and that when I leave this, I go on board the steamer.'
'Indeed,' said Martin. 'Then you have taken leave of Alice?'.
'Yes; early this morning.'
'And you have told her of your plans?'
'No, indeed, for they are as yet undecided; but I have told her that I will write and let her know them.'
'Be sure that you do,' said Martin, 'for we are all of us deeply interested in you. I have brought you,' he added, handing her a packet, 'your own two thousand pounds. With them you will find two thousand pounds more--one thousand from Alice as your sister-in-law, one thousand from Humphrey as your dead husband's old friend. They bade me give you this with their united love, and hoped you would not shrink from accepting it.'
Pauline's voice shook very much as she replied, 'I will accept it certainly; I shall hope to find a good use for it.'
'Of that I have no doubt,' said Martin. They had reached the end of the street by this time, and found the luggage-laden cab in waiting. 'Good-bye, Madame Du Tertre,' said Martin, after he had handed her into the vehicle, 'good-bye, and God bless you.'