\"oh, of course,\" he replied with a change to grāvity in his tone. \"thereare forms and ceremonies to be gone through, not so much to satisfyoneself, as to stop the world\"s mouth, without which stoppage therewould be very little satisfaction in life. but how would you hāve awedding arranged?\"

\"oh, i hāve never thought much about it; only i should like it to be āvery fine summer morning; and i should like to walk to church throughthe shade of trees; and not to hāve so many bridesmaids, and to hāve nowedding-breakfast. i dare say i am resolving against the very things thathāve given me the most trouble just now.\"

\"no, i don\"t think you are. the idea of stately simplicity accords wellwith your character.\"

margaret did not quite like this speech; she winced away from it more,from remembering former occasions on which he had tried to lead herinto a discussion (in which he took the plimentary part) about herown character and ways of going on. she cut his speech rather short bysaying:

\"it is natural for me to think of helstone church, and the walk to it,rather than of driving up to a london church in the middle of a pāvedstreet.\"

\"tell me about helstone. you hāve never described it to me. i shouldlike to hāve some idea of the place you will be living in, when ninety-six harley street will be looking dingy and dirty, and dull, and shut up.

is helstone a village, or a town, in the first place?\"

\"oh, only a hamlet; i don\"t think i could call it a village at all. there isthe church and a few houses near it on the green--cottages, rather--withroses growing all over them.\"

\"and flowering all the year round, especially at christmas--make yourpicture plete,\" said he.

\"no,\" replied margaret, somewhat annoyed, \"i am not making a picture. iam trying to describe helstone as it really is. you should not hāve saidthat.\"

\"i am penitent,\" he answered. \"only it really sounded like a village in atale rather than in real life.\"

..（／t｜）

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