"My God--I love her madly--I must not think of her at all," he murmured.

"I must not; I dare not!" He was uncomfortable, and even depressed, after these musings; and he was determined to keep the door of that chamber within him where Josephine dwelt more firmly locked than ever in the future.
When all the people concerned are of one mind on a certain point it is surprising how easily they can bring their wishes to bear fruit.

It was all important, both to Captain Bertram and his mother, that his marriage should follow his engagement with the least possible delay.
Having decided to marry him, Beatrice would allow her lover to lead her to the altar the first day he cared to do so.

Mrs.Meadowsweet was, of course, like wax in the hands of her daughter.
Accordingly, Beatrice would only be an engaged maiden for three short weeks, and on the 10th of September, before Captain Bertram's leave expired, Northbury was to make merry over the gayest wedding it had ever been its lot to participate in.
Mr.Ingram, who was one of Beatrice's guardians, and from whose house the wedding was to take place, had insisted on all his parishioners being invited.

Both rich and poor were to partake of the good things of life at the Rectory on that auspicious day, and Mrs.Bertram, whether she liked it or not, must sit down to her son's wedding-breakfast in the presence of Mrs.Gorman Stanley, Mrs.Morris, Mrs.Butler, Miss Peters, and the other despised Northbury folk.
"Your son is marrying into one of the Northbury families," the rector had said, when the proud lady had frowned a little over this.