Chapter 1

THE OVERTURE--ABOUT THAT DATE

These are the beginnings of some of the letters which they wrote
about that time.

Woking, May 20th.

My Dearest Maude,--You know that your mother suggested, and we
agreed, that we should be married about the beginning of September.
Don't you think that we might say the 3rd of August? It is a
Wednesday, and in every sense suitable. Do try to change the date,
for it would in many ways be preferable to the other. I shall be
eager to hear from you about it. And now, dearest Maude . . . (The
rest is irrelevant.)

St. Albans, May 22nd.

My Dearest Frank,--Mother sees no objection to the 3rd of August, and
I am ready to do anything which will please you and her. Of course
there are the guests to be considered, and the dressmakers and other
arrangements, but I have no doubt that we shall be able to change the
date all right. O Frank . . . (What follows is beside the point.)

Woking, May 25th.

My Dearest Maude,--I have been thinking over that change of date, and
I see one objection which had not occurred to me when I suggested it.
August the 1st is Bank holiday, and travelling is not very pleasant
about that time. My idea now is that we should bring it off before
that date. Fancy, for example, how unpleasant it would be for your
Uncle Joseph if he had to travel all the way from Edinburgh with a
Bank-holiday crowd. It would be selfish of us if we did not fit in
our plans so as to save our relatives from inconvenience. I think
therefore, taking everything into consideration, that the 20th of
July, a Wednesday, would be the very best day that we could select.
I do hope that you will strain every nerve, my darling, to get your
mother to consent to this change. When I think . . . (A digression
follows.)

St. Albans, May 27th.

My Dearest Frank,--I think that what you say about the date is very
reasonable, and it is so sweet and unselfish of you to think about
Uncle Joseph. Of course it would be very unpleasant for him to have
to travel at such a time, and we must strain every nerve to prevent
it. There is only one serious objection which my mother can see.
Uncle Percival (that is my mother's second brother) comes back from
Rangoon about the end of July, and will miss the wedding (O Frank,
think of its being OUR wedding!) unless we delay it. He has always
been very fond of me, and he might be hurt if we were married so
immediately before his arrival. Don't you think it would be as well
to wait? Mother leaves it all in your hands, and we shall do exactly
as you advise. O Frank . . . (The rest is confidential.)

Woking, May 29th.

My Own Dearest,--I think that it would be unreasonable upon the part
of your Uncle