The Marriage The engagement was made in October, and the marriage took place in the latter part of November.

When Lopez pressed for an early day,--which he did very strongly,--Emily raised no difficulties in the way of his wishes.

The father, foolishly enough, would at first have postponed it, and made himself so unpleasant to Lopez by his manner of doing this, that the bride was driven to take her lover's part.

As the thing was to be done, what was to be gained by delay?
It could not be made a joy to him; nor, looking at the matter as he looked at it, could he make a joy even of her presence during the few intervening weeks.

Lopez proposed to take his bride into Italy for the winter months, and to stay there at any rate through December and January, alleging that he must be back in town by the beginning of February;--and this was taken as a fair plea for hastening the marriage.
When the matter was settled, he went back to Gatherum Castle, as he had arranged to do with the Duchess, and managed to interest her Grace in all his proceedings.