"Mother, I don"t know. I dare not trust myself to go through with to-day"s work. I have such strange, wild, mad risings in my heart, in my nerves, in my brain! I want something to overpower all this, and keep it down."
"My poor, poor darling! Oh, if I could suffer instead of you! Ah me! Must the innocent always suffer for the guilty?"
"You were never, never guilty, dear mother. And you also suffer. Ah! I see that you do. Don"t grieve for me, mother, darling. Indeed, I am not--I am not----" She was about to add, "not unhappy," but truth arrested her words, and after a little pause she said: "I only want you to give me something to steady me. That is all." Then, seeing the anguish of the lady"s face, she smiled wanly and added: "It will all be right, mother, dear. I know it will. I am trying to do my duty, and the Lord will not forsake me. It is only the--the wildness that comes over me. I want something to subdue it."
"Sit down, dear; sit down," said Elfrida Force, leading her daughter to the easy chair by the fire, and leaving her reclining there, while she herself went to her dressing-case and brought out that little vial of colorless liquid, that looked as innocent as the purest spring water, and yet contained death to a dozen strong men, if administered.
"A teaspoonful of this would give her peace forever," whispered the tempter. And the woman shuddered, and nearly let fall the bottle. She recovered herself, dropped half a dozen drops on a lozenge, and brought it to her daughter, saying gently:
"This will quiet you, my dear."
Odalite took it with a smile and put it between her lips.
The door opened and Wynnette and Elva came in in their nightdresses.
They had "resigned" themselves "to the inevitable," especially as they saw that Le had ceased to grieve over it, and had even consented to be the groomsman, while they were to be the bridesmaids.
"I am sure, if Le don"t mind it, we needn"t," said Wynnette.
"And, oh, what beautiful dresses we have to wear!" added Elva.
Now they had burst into their mother"s chamber, in all the excitement inspired by the occasion.
"We went into your room, Odalite, and as you were not there, we knew you must be here," said Elva, running and throwing her arms around her sister"s neck.
"All right this morning, Odalite?" inquired Wynnette.
"Yes," quietly replied the girl, upon whom the powerful sedative was already beginning to act.
"My children, go and get ready for breakfast. It is ordered half an hour earlier this morning on account of the wedding. We must be at the church by eleven o"clock," said Mrs. Force.
The two little girls scuttled away to hurry on their home clothes to go down to the dining room.
Mrs. Force had finished dressing herself, and now spoke to her daughter, who was still in her nightgown, reclining back in the chair.
"Odalite, you need not exert yourself to come down, dear. I will send you something up here. What shall it be?"
"Anything you like, mamma," languidly replied the girl.
The lady left the chamber and went down to the dining room, where she found all the family, with the exception of the bride-elect, a.s.sembled.
The bridegroom-expectant, who was still a member of the household, advanced politely, greeted his prospective mother-in-law and led her to her seat at the head of the table.
"Where is Odalite?" inquired Mr. Force, as he took his seat at the foot.
"I have left her in my apartment. She must not fatigue herself by making two toilets. I shall send her breakfast up," replied the lady.
"I hope she is quite well this morning?" said Col. Anglesea.
"Quite well," replied the lady.
And when she had served all her circle with coffee, tea, or cocoa, she called a servant to bring a waiter, and she prepared and sent up a dainty little repast to her daughter.
"The carriages will be at the door by ten o"clock, my dears, so you will please to be ready. It will take us full an hour to drive to All Faith. I hope the church will be well warmed," said the father of the family, as they all arose from the table.
"We will be ready in time," replied Mrs. Force, as they pa.s.sed out of the dining room.
Leonidas Force looked so white and grim that little Elva paused behind the rest to speak to him.
"Le! Le! what"s the matter? I do believe you do care, after all."
"Hush, Elva," said the youth, in a whisper.
"Le! if you do care, you can forbid the banns, on account of that engagement of yours. You can, indeed! Wynnette and I have been reading over the marriage service in the prayer book, and there is a place where it says, "If any man here present can show cause"----You know why it shouldn"t be done, it wouldn"t be done, and there an end! And I am sure you could show cause, Le!"
"Yes, dear; but I won"t!" Le replied.
"Elva! If you don"t stir your stumps--I mean hurry up--you won"t be ready in time!" called Wynnette, from the bannister above.
Elva broke away, and ran upstairs.
And then began the toil of the toilets.
Every bedchamber was occupied as a dressing room.
Col. Anglesea, under the hands of his valet, was preparing himself in his own apartment.
Le, in his little den, was dressing una.s.sisted.
Mr. Force, in a little closet adjoining his wife"s room, was shaved and brushed and polished up by Jake, his "body servant."
Mrs. Force, with the a.s.sistance of her maid Luce, first dressed her daughter Odalite, and seating her on her large easy chair, left her while she dressed herself.
Miss Meeke, in the children"s room, first made their toilets and then her own.
By half-past nine o"clock all the women of the family were a.s.sembled in the drawing room waiting for the gentlemen and the carriages.
The white, cold, still bride wore a trained dress of white velvet, made high in the neck and long in the sleeves, and trimmed with swansdown; a wreath of orange blossoms; a veil of white Spanish lace. A servant stood near her holding a large white fur cloak, with hood and m.u.f.f, to be worn in the carriage.
The two little bridesmaids wore dresses of white cashmere, also made with high neck and long sleeves, and trimmed with white satin. They carried large white woolen wraps, to be worn in the carriage.
Mrs. Force wore a rich purple velvet dress, with a bonnet to match, and an India shawl.
Miss Meeke wore a dark brown silk, and brown velvet jacket and hat.
The gentlemen appeared, and the carriages were announced almost at the same moment.
"Have you had foot-warmers put in the ladies" coach?" inquired Mr. Force of the servant in attendance.