into a cab at the entrance to the court and drove straight to the mr was there and was busy but on hearing that it was miss who wished to see him he sent a message that he would be free in five minutes and in a little more than that time was shown into the room in which he had first received her well he said in kind abrupt tones well are they going to take the piece off not that i have heard of she replied oh really i made sure that you were coming to tell me that you were released no said i came to tell you something else mr � yes and that is well the is i am going to be married are you indeed oh that is s heart and sword not exactly sudden said but the fact is mr objects to go to india without me and and you are going no i cannot give up my work so i have promised to marry him instead and stay behind yes it him and he thinks it would be better for me and in some senses said philip he is right in some senses i think you are beginning your married life under a mistake but why she faltered well it is a separating life at the best of times that is the worst thing that can be laid to the charge of the dramatic profession it does tend to bring in other interests because even when both husband and wife are of the same profession it is not always possible for them to be together and it is impossible to enter the marriage state and keep quite as one when interests are divided all your interests are naturally in a totally different life all yours will be here when you meet again you will not be the same as you are the day that you part why not because you are human beings said philip very gravely because human nature is only human nature and it is easier to keep unchanged in a life than in an active one i know he went on that there are people who think that there is a good deal of between the army and the stage they are mistaken i know it of my own experience the woman who is accustomed to an army life can never herself really with the interests of the stage the woman who is accustomed to a dramatic life finds herself and checked on all hands by the social which seem to be essentially a part of a mrs s life it may seem to the that both are more or less that both are what we are accustomed to call devil may care states of existence but it is not so i have never yet he went on known the soldier who was absolutely free from the of and i have never yet known the actor who could cheerfully it is curious but such is my experience have you thought carefully over the matter oh yes and it is too late to draw back now even if i wished to do so and you do not wish well well let us hope that time will be merciful to you that you will find in a few years that if philip understood how to run a theatre he was hopelessly out of it in his matrimonial and you will come to my wedding mr said yes yes i will come do s people consent oh yes his father is going to marry us and they are all coming sir john is going to give me away then said he i will come in the guise of the ornamental guest you have asked miss i didn t uke to do so said oh you should ask her she takes a great interest in you you should ask her it will give her great pleasure if you do so he rose as he spoke and taking the hint rose also and as he took her hand to say farewell he looked down upon her with eyes full of pity i hope you will be happy he said i hope it will all turn out for the best you have been very fortunate so far but not more so than you deserve for some things i wish that you had waited until you were a little s heart and sword further along your journey � a little more firmly fixed in your mind but there there go away and don t think that i was a or that i will come to your wedding and be a skeleton at the feast the only other guests whom invited were her manager harry and walter and the day following she was surprised by a visit fa m lady who came to suggest that as sir john was going to act the part of father to her she should be allowed to take the place of her mother and receive the party in place after the ceremony but the trouble lady not a trouble at all but a very great pleasure said lady decidedly it will please sir john and it will be good for you and as your husband is so soon to leave you it is better that you should be married to a certain extent with a flourish of trumpets and another thing it will do you no harm with your future husband s family that you had other friends able and willing to help you besides themselves so shall we look upon it as a settled thing so it came about that and were married by the and that was given away by sir john the eminent q c whose wife entertained the whole party to luncheon afterwards it was a most gay and merry the great actor philip proposed the health of the bride and groom and returned thanks in the 