Valencia

There were dresses of every conceivable fabric, they said, but none
were quite so grand as the wedding-dress itself--the heavy white
silk which could "stand alone," and trailed "a full half-yard behind."

It was also whispered round that, not content with seeing the effect
of her bridal robes as they lay upon the bed, Miss Lucy Harcourt had
actually tried them on--wreath, veil and all--and stood before the
glass until Miss Fanny had laughed at her for being so vain and
foolish, and said she was a pretty specimen for a sober clergyman's
wife.

For all this gossip the villagers were indebted mostly to Miss
Valencia Le Barre, who, ever since her arrival at Prospect Hill, had
been growing somewhat disenchanted with the young mistress she had
expected to rule even more completely than she had ruled Mrs.
Meredith. But in this she was mistaken, and it did not improve her
never very amiable temper to find that she could not with safety
appropriate more than half her mistress' handkerchiefs, collars,
cuffs, and gloves, to say nothing of perfumery, and pomades, and, as
this was a new state of things with Valencia, she chafed at the
administration under which she had so willingly put herself, and told
things of her mistress which no sensible servant would ever have
reported. And Lucy gave her plenty to tell.

Frank and outspoken as a child, she acted as she felt, and did try on
the bridal dress, screaming with pleased delight when Valencia
fastened the veil and let its fleecy folds fall gracefully around her.