He sought his grandmother, and related his adventures and their termination to her.
He found her very kind and willing to listen to him, and he told her all about Brownie from the time of his first meeting with her; but she, too, deemed it a mésalliance, and was deeply distressed on account of it, as well as the rupture between him and his lordship.
But Adrian was her idol—the deed was done, and could not now be undone—and he was so high in his praises of his bride that she was half won over to his side before he left her, and she promised to visit them, if she could do so without incurring the displeasure of her husband.
Three days later the happy husband and wife might have been seen sitting in their luxurious drawing-room in the Langham Hotel, where everything which love could suggest or money procure had been lavished upon the lovely bride.
Adrian had insisted immediately following their marriage upon her procuring an extensive and elaborate wardrobe, “befitting a lady of rank,” as he laughingly said, although what that rank was he had not yet seen fit to tell her, and she was too happy, as well as too delicate, to question him upon such minor points.
Upon this particular morning, Brownie was exquisitely lovely in a soft, trailing robe of white cashmere, trimmed with rose-colored silk, and confined at the waist by a heavy cord and tassels of the same color. Full ruchings of costly lace surrounded her neck and wrists, and from beneath the folds of her dress peeped the tiniest kid slipper, ornamented with bows of rose-colored satin. Her hair was arranged simply, but very becomingly, for Milly took the utmost delight in her new vocation, and spared no pains to make her fair young mistress look beautiful; and no one could say, as she sits listening while her husband reads to her from the morning paper, but that the lovely bride was absolutely perfect, from the crown of her pretty head to the sole of her dainty slipper.
Nurse Clum has returned to West Malling, since she is no more needed for propriety’s sake; but she did not go empty-handed by any means, for Adrian crowded her poor little purse to its fullest capacity, while Brownie bought the very nicest black silk for a dress which she could find as a testimonial of her appreciation of the kindness which she had done her.
The little golden clock upon its bracket of carved marble chimed the hour of eleven, and scarcely had it ceased when there came a knock upon the door.
Another instant it was swung open, and the waiter announced:
“Lady Dunforth!”