A Mere Chance, Vol. 3 of 3
omfort to her. The weather was beautiful, to begin with; a lovelier autumn morning eve
eresting ceremony took care to point out the significance of sunshine and a cloudl
ition and custom assigned to him. There was not a bridesmaid of them all who di
an with her, but he had far more to say to them, and practically far more to do with
gh the credit of that really belonged to Mr. Hardy, who, for once in a way, had to be reckoned wi
differed from the rest, though all were equally costly, of the excellence of his taste and tact. They were valued thereafter by
er the ruffled lace encircling her white throat-a dazzling ring of shifting lights and colours-a ma
shion in which he improved this great occasion, and who did not participate in the general impressio
lightful sang-froid. He was never for a moment embarrassed. He overflowed wi
cularity, and that was full of well-bred witticisms, provocative of gentle, well-bred laughter. He wa
he was not agitated at all, and she did not blush at all. She bore herself generally with a statuesque composure that was thought by some to be very dignified, and by
some stage of the ceremonies, and was prepared to combat the first symptoms of hy
count, and bidden her restrict herself to the most perfunctory caresses until the public ordeal was over. But long ere this point
y embodies it. She had apparently nerved herself for a sacrificial rite, or else the g
middle of the marriage service, "I wish I had
et and antique lace-in the midst of scores of other splendid figures, a helpless witness to
the ring that was the sign and seal of it-the token and pledge o
igious ceremony having "gone off" with great success, Mrs. Ki
with at this stage, and the two marrie
nything, and was delighted with the pomp and circumstance of this new alliance in the family, and charmed,
uch good husbands. Oh, how nice it will be when Rachel and Laura come back and begin housekeeping! John is going to let me have a house in town, too, as soon as Isabel and Bruce come home, so that we shall be down for part of the year; and then what a cosy little family circl
anding the starry necklace to her sister. "And, Rachel, dear,
en taken off, sat down to be sponged and brus
ted, and pleasantly chatted on; and when all was done, and the bride, in russet homespun, wa
you said yo
e, dear; yes,
ing it very hard-
easier in a
ind-if you are kind and good to your husband, and tr
with any more. That is what I feel hard. But I am trying to get over it. I have promised Mr. Kingston-Graham-all those solemn promises, and I must keep them-I will. It is only at first
she found all the company awaiting her, the front door open, and the carria
is fellow-servants; she kissed her uncle and thanked him for all his kindness to her; she embraced Lucilla and Beatrice with silent
goodness to me, dear Aunt Elizabeth," she said, with path
the majestic woman sud
t to you as you have been a good niece to me. I hope you will be very,
a cloud over his face. Mrs. Reade was also standing by, and she
y looked at his wife; "we shall los
nd and led her away, followed from the house to her carriage by all her train. Sh
strange and very touching. It invested the Toorak House and all its belongings with a new cha
seemed so much her "home" as at this moment, when her aunt cried like a mothe
e lodge, who stood in her Sunday best and white satin cap-ribbons, smiling and curtseying, to see them pass; "well, that is a good thing over, isn't it? Of all the
Her heart was beating very fast, beating in her ears and in her throat, as
eaking-down which she had dreaded, and which she felt was inevitable, until
hether she was going to make him happy, as she had promised, or to curse his life with its bitterest disappointment-speaking half in love, half in anger, with
e you, my pet. Rachel, Rachel, hush! do hush! Don't let that confounded coachman go back and say-Rachel, do you hear?"-g
to the indecency of betraying her emotion to the servants and the
nd held herself in with shut teeth and tight-locked hands, wildly sobbing under her breath, and by-and-bye, when the fir
o be able to scold her-in a gentle and judicious manner, of course-but he was afraid to attempt
e; he got her to put on a thicker veil, which happened to be amongst the luxuries that her aunt and cousins had stuffed into her travelling-bag; and
her powers of self-command. The more important matters could wait
hey reached the country house which had been placed at their disposal-the best substitute to be had for that charming residence on the
n his fur-collared overcoat, was musing not very happily upon the success that had crowned his long-cherish
she whispe
the first time she had spoken his name and offered him a c
his embrace, but creeping into it as she had never done
loved you more than anybody in the world, and I always s
ead in its soft little sealskin cap on his brea
el happier (even on his wedding day) than he felt now, with his best beloved, who
tial to its very existence that it should have something to cling to-w