Hard Cash Part 67

"Now I don't want to hurry you; but Dr. Sampson is come." The handmaids, fl.u.s.tered, tried to go faster; and, when the work was done, Julia took her little handgla.s.s and inspected her back: "Oh," she screamed, "I am crooked. There, go for mamma!"

Mamma soon came, and the poor bride held out imploring hands, "I'm all awry; I'm as crooked as a ram's horn."

"La, miss," said Sarah, "it's only behind; n.o.body will notice it."

"How can they help it? Mamma! _am_ I deformed?"

Mrs. Dodd smiled superior and bade her be calm: "It is the lacing, dear.

No, Sarah, it is no use your _pulling_ it; all the pulling in the world will not straighten it. I thought so: you have missed the second top hole."

Julia's little foot began to beat a tattoo on the floor: "There is not a soul in the house but you can do the simplest thing. Eyes and no eyes!

Fingers and no fingers! I never did."

"Hush, love, we all do our best."

"Oh, I am sure of that; poor things."

_"n.o.body_ can lace you if you fidget about love," objected Mrs. Dodd.

(b.u.mp)! "Now I don't want to hurry any man's cattle: but the bridesmaids are come."

"Oh dear, I shall never be ready in time," said Julia; and the tattoo recommenced.

"Plenty of time, love," said Mrs. Dodd, quietly lacing: "not half-past ten yet. Sarah, go and see if the bridegroom has arrived."

Sarah returned with the rea.s.suring tidings that the bridegroom had not yet arrived; though the carriages had.

"Oh, thank Heaven, _he_ is not come," said Julia. "If I keep him waiting to-day, he might say--'Oho!'"

Under dread of a comment so significant she was ready at last, and said majestically he might come now whenever he liked.

Meantime, down stairs an uneasiness of the opposite kind was growing.

Ten minutes past the appointed time, and the bridegroom not there.

So while Julia, now full dressed, and easy in her mind, was directing Sarah's sister to lay out her plain travelling dress, bonnet and gloves on the bed, Mrs. Dodd was summoned downstairs. She came down with Julia's white gloves in her hand, and a needle and thread, the b.u.t.ton sewed on by trade's fair hand having flown at the first strain. Edward met her on the stairs: "What had we better do, mother?" said he, _sotto voce:_ "there must be some mistake. Can you remember? Wasn't he to call for me on the way to the church?"

"I really do not know," said Mrs. Dodd. "Is he at the church, do you think?"

"No, no, either he was to call for me here, or I for him. I'll go to the church, though: it is only a step."

He ran off, and in a little more than five minutes came into the drawing-room.

"No, he is not there. I must go to his lodgings. Confound him, he has got reading Aristotle, I suppose."

This pa.s.sed before the whole party, Julia excepted.

Sampson looked at his watch, and said he could conduct the ladies to the church while Edward went for Alfred. "Division of labour," said he gallantly, "and mine the delightful half."

Mrs. Dodd demurred to the plan. She was for waiting quietly in one place.

"Well, but" said Edward, "we may overdo that; here it is a quarter-past eleven, and you know they can't be married after twelve. No, I really think you had better all go with the doctor. I dare say we shall be there as soon as you will."

This was agreed on after some discussion. Edward, however, to provide against all contingencies, begged Sampson not to wait for him should Alfred reach the church by some other road: "I'm only groomsman, you know," said he. He ran off at a racing pace. The bride was then summoned, admired, and handed into one carriage with her two bridesmaids, Miss Bosanquet and Miss Darton. Sampson and Mrs. Dodd went in the other; and by half-past eleven they were all safe in the church.

A good many people, high and low, were about the door and in the pews, waiting to see the beautiful Miss Dodd married to the son of a personage once so popular as Mr. Hardie: it had even transpired that Mr. Hardie disapproved the match. They had been waiting a long time, and were beginning to wonder what was the matter, when, at last the bride's party walked up the aisle with a bright April sun s.h.i.+ning on them through the broad old windows. The bride's rare beauty, and stag-like carriage of her head, imperial in its loveliness and orange wreath, drew a hum of admiration.

The party stood a minute or two at the east end of the church, and then the clergyman came out and invited them into the vestry.

Their reappearance was eagerly expected; in silence at first, but presently in loud and mult.i.tudinous whispers.

At this moment a young lady, with almost perfect features and sylph-like figure, modestly dressed in dove-coloured silk, but with a new chip bonnet and white gloves, entered a pew near the west door, and said a little prayer; then proceeded up the aisle, and exchanged a word with the clerk, then into the vestry.

"Cheep! cheep! cheep!" went fifty female tongues, and the arrival of the bridegroom's sister became public news.

The bride welcomed her in the vestry with a sweet guttural of surprise and delight, and they kissed one another like little tigers.

"Oh, my darling Jane, how kind of you! have I got you back to make my happiness complete?"

Now none of her own party had thought it wise to tell Julia there was any hitch: but Miss Hardie blurted out naturally enough, "But where's Alfred?"

"I don't know, dear," said Julia innocently. "Are not he and Edward in another part of the church? I thought we were waiting till twelve o'clock, perhaps. Mamma dear, you know everything; I suppose this is all right?"

Then, looking round at her friends' faces, she saw in a moment that it was all wrong. Sampson's, in particular, was burning with manly indignation, and even her mother's discomposed, and trying to smile.

When the innocent saw this, she suspected her beloved was treating her cavalierly, and her poor little mouth began to work, and she had much ado not to whimper.

Mrs. Dodd, to encourage her, told her not to be put out: it had been arranged all along that Edward should go for him: "Unfortunately we had an impression it was the other way: but now Edward is gone to his lodgings."

"No, mamma," said Julia; "Alfred was to call for Edward; because our house was on the way."

"Are you sure, my child?" asked Mrs. Dodd very gravely.

"Oh yes, mamma," said Julia, beginning to tremble; "at a quarter before eleven: I heard them settle it."

The matter was terribly serious now; indeed, it began to look hopeless.

Weather overclouded: rain-drops falling; and hard upon twelve o'clock.

They all looked at one another in despair.

Suddenly there was a loud, long buzzing heard outside, and the house of G.o.d turned into a gossiping fair. "Talk of money changers," said Satan that day, "give _me_ the exchangers of small talk."

"Thank Heaven they are come," said Mrs. Dodd. But, having thus relieved her mind, she drew herself up and prepared a freezing reception for the defaulter.

A whisper reached their excited ears: "It is young Mr. Dodd" and next moment Edward came into the vestry--alone: the sight of him was enough; his brow wet with perspiration, his face black and white with bitter wrath.

"Come home, _my_ people," he said sternly: "there will be no wedding here to-day!"

The bridesmaids cackled questions at him; he turned his back on them.