And she had stood just as innocent in orange flowers and bridal veil.

And now? "It's terribly strange," she said to herself.

It was not merely the sisters, the women-friends and female relations of the bride who were following every detail of the ceremony.

Women who were quite strangers, mere spectators, were watching it excitedly, holding their breath, in fear of losing a single movement or expression of the bride and bridegroom, and angrily not answering, often not hearing, the remarks of the callous men, who kept making joking or irrelevant observations.

"Why has she been crying? Is she being married against her will?" "Against her will to a fine fellow like that? A prince, isn't he?" "Is that her sister in the white satin? Just listen how the deacon booms out, 'And fearing her husband.