'You should
appear coming from some other part of the world, as if you were
almost unexpected. You ought not to have been in the house at all,
and certainly should have gone under disguise.'
There had been rich presents too on this occasion, but they were
shown to none except to Mrs Finn and the bridesmaids,--and perhaps
to the favoured servants of the house. At any rate there was
nothing said of them in the newspapers. One present there was,--
given not to the bride but to the bridegroom,--which he showed to
no one except to her. This came to him only on the morning of his
marriage, and the envelope containing it bore the postmark of
Sedburgh. He knew the handwriting well before he opened the
parcel. It contained a small signet-ring with his crest, and with
it there were but a few words written on a scrap of paper. 'I pray
that you may be happy. This was to have been given to you long
ago, but I kept it back because of that decision.' He showed the
ring to Lady Mary and told her that it had come from Lady Mabel;--
but the scrap of paper no one saw but himself.
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