"That must be the very tool employed by Bluebeard!" said Dr.
Arthur. "I always marvelled at the clever celerity of his work. Prim, when you are married you must give that to me."
"Looks suspicious for _his_ wife!" said Dane.
"I like thoughts in such things," said Dr. Arthur, looking towards the foot of the table and the bonbonniere that stood by Rollo"s plate; a good-sized wheelbarrow loaded with cotton-bales of French candy. "Which is it Dane??work in sugar, or sugar in work?"
"The two terms are so transposable, I need not trouble myself much to find out which."
So the dinner went merrily on. Of course Mrs. Byw.a.n.k"s part of it was unsurpa.s.sed; and but one thing was missing to which guests there were accustomed?Wych Hazel"s laugh. But her attention to the guests never failed, and if she only played with her dinner, and if she was all the time living a double life and carrying on two trains of thought, few people found it out. Once indeed, apropos to some demand for roast beef, she wandered quite off to Morton Hollow and the Charteris men; and then of a sudden the lips parted in a full smile, and the brown eyes went down the table to Rollo for sympathy. A moment of forgetfulness followed by one of great confusion, as she remembered that he could not possibly know what she was smiling at. Hazel was glad to drop her napkin or do anything else to put her face out of sight. As for Dane, his part that evening might be described as filling gaps. He did it admirably.
Perhaps he was not to be greatly credited for that, inasmuch as happiness is a great lubricator of the social wheels. He did it, at any rate, easily and coolly too, according to his usual wont. He talked to Dr. Maryland, was affectionate to Prim, amused Mrs.
Coles, watched over Wych Hazel and took care of her if ever an emergency in the conversation made it desirable.
The evening in the drawing-room sped quite merrily away, and only the quick flutter of the lace round Wych Hazel"s throat, told of something hidden and not at rest. Some European views for the stereoscope were brought out of their corner, and Rollo led the talk in the direction thus indicated, where he had plenty to say.
Suddenly pa.s.sing to Wych Hazel"s side he sat down and said half softly,
"There is another view we were going to shew them?a new one?
is it ready to be introduced? or will it come better later?"
He got another quick look then,?searching, exploring,?a look to be remembered.
"Give me a few minutes?"
And presently, when no one was looking, the little lady flitted away out of the room.
It is fair to say that the gentleman so far lost his presence of mind for some minutes thereafter, as to be justly chargeable with what is called _absence_. He scarcely answered the observations addressed to him, and made several on his own account without very well knowing what he was talking about. And so, for a little, if Time "gallopped" up stairs, he went rather slowly, with one or two at least, in the drawing-room. Dr. Arthur presently drew off from the views and took position again by the mantel-piece,?probably to hear the Christmas wind, which was very musical just then. And probably the doctor"s thoughts too wandered off; for after a while he took a pair of white gloves from his pocket and began abstractedly to fit them on.
"Arthur!" said Mrs. Coles severely, whose eyes were never known to be off duty,?"what can you be about?"
"That"s the way some people do," said Rollo after a quick glance; "they are never ready for an occasion till the occasion is half over."
"But what is the "occasion"?" said Mrs. Coles.
"Christmas day at Chickaree?dinner?and, Arthur seems to think, ceremony."
"Look at Arthur, Prim," said her sister.
"It is a leisure moment," said Dr. Arthur fastening a b.u.t.ton,?"and I so seldom have leisure in which to try on new gloves. One of the minor comforts of life, is having your gloves fit." And Dr. Arthur glanced at Dane from under his brows, and went back to his other glove and the Christmas wind again.
"I declare," said Prudentia, "I think you are very unceremonious!"
"Extremes meet,?here as often elsewhere," replied Dane.
"But what have you been getting new white gloves for, Arthur?"
asked his younger sister.
"They look better than old ones, Prim,?when they fit."
"Has Molly Seaton sent you cards for her wedding?"
"I dare say.?What about it?"
"She hasn"t,?nor anybody else," said Rollo.
"Useless things"?said Dr. Arthur. "I am glad they have not come."
Another time Dane might have discussed the subject; but not to- night. He was silent. And as people catch the hidden influences abroad in the air, the others grew silent too, not knowing why, thinking it was the wind which drew their attention. Dr. Arthur, leaning against the mantelpiece with his eyes on the floor, in an att.i.tude of keen listening, had plainly forgotten his gloves; and the fire snapped softly, and the red coals fell, and still n.o.body spoke.
Until, when some little time had pa.s.sed by, there came a sound of steps in the hall,?steps slow and rather heavy; and the door opened softly, and a vision came in. Not hers the steps they had heard; so noiselessly she came in, so vision-like she looked, so lovely, so girlish in her loveliness, that a caught breath, a half exclamation, greeted her on all hands. The glittering dress was all changed. Not for the white clouds in which her mother might have arrayed her, nor for anything that should make her conspicuous, or could be so. More for seclusion than for show, Wych Hazel had chosen her bridal dress. Dark,?so dark that the depths of folds might have been black, and only the light-touched edges threw off a sea-green _reflet;_ with no ornaments but the chatelaine at her side, with no adornment but her own silky hair in its own wayward arrangement. To all this there was just one addition. Hazel had taken the lace veil,?exquisite in pattern, cobweb-like in texture,?
and laid it across her head like a Spanish mantilla, from whence it came down about her on all sides to the floor, leaving only the face and the front of the dress clear. One little ungloved hand held the lace lightly together; for gloves that there was n.o.body to take off, Hazel could not put on.
Mrs. Byw.a.n.k and Reo followed close behind her, behind them old Gyda. But there is something in a crisis which stills some natures; and while the faces of the faithful old retainers, weatherbeaten with life"s alternating wind and sun, worked and stirred with emotion, the girl herself was quiet and composed, with almost the grave childish calm of her own little picture. Her step was a little quick, but even the colour did not stir, until when after the first three steps into the room there came a minute"s hesitation, as if she did not quite know where to go, now she was there. If any others of the household followed?as probably they did?those who looked saw only the three; and perhaps the glitter of Gyda"s embroidery just behind.
Just while Wych Hazel made those three steps into the room, there was a pause upon all that saw her. A half smothered "My dear!"?
came from Mrs. Coles" astonished lips, and was arrested mid way.
For so many seconds Dane did not move, losing everything else in the direct vision; but then he was at Wych Hazel"s side immediately and gave her his arm. A great light had come up into his face, all the light of a smile, but he was not smiling. He led Wych Hazel forward till they stood at the edge of the semicircle which had spread out right and left of the table, everybody having risen to his feet.
"You see what we want of you, Dr. Maryland," he said. "Will you do us the greatest favour you ever can do us?"
"My dear boy!?Dane!" exclaimed the old doctor in bewilderment,?"is it possible? Is this little lady ready on such short notice?"
"She is ready,"?replied Dane, with a hidden ring of strength and tenderness in his voice that only one person could fairly comprehend. And Dr. Maryland seeing them stand still waiting before him was fain to believe his eyes and began to bestir himself to make his preparations. Not many were needed.
"There is a Bible on that table yonder, Arthur," said Rollo, standing like a rock. Mrs. Coles by this time found breath.
"But Dane!?My dear Miss Kennedy!?you _don"t_ surely mean to do without having a wedding?"
"Hush, Prue!" said her sister.
"But I never heard of such a thing in my life!?"
n.o.body heeded her.
Dr. Maryland was ready, and Dane leading Wych Hazel to a place in front of him, dropped her arm and stood beside her. It was time, for a crisis will not bear tampering with; and the girl had grown visibly paler under pressure of Mrs. Coles, and hands were trembling a little, and lips almost. Then she drew herself up with her old quick gesture, and sealed all that, and hid it away. And it was but a few minutes. There was no want of sympathy in Dr.
Maryland"s sweet, grave ministration; a little accent of gladness was here and there perceptible, and his prayers were exceedingly earnest and loving. The words of address he directed to the two young people were searching and stirring words, such as Dr.
Maryland could well speak; but it was all swiftly over, though his utterances were the reverse of swift. On the contrary, they were tender and deliberate. But even so, it was quickly over, and Hazel was receiving the congratulations of her little knot of friends.
Now character came out. The old Doctor"s touch of her brow was hearty enough but a little formal. Prim"s kiss was trembling.
Prudentia"s was the impact of wooden lips, moveless and hard; one would have said, sinister, if an expressionless thing could be said to have expression. All the notes of the scale were between her husband"s kiss and that, Dr. Arthur almost making up for the rest with his glad, brotherly greeting for Hazel and a brother"s wring of the hand for Dane. But from them all, Wych Hazel turned and threw her arms round Mrs. Byw.a.n.k. Restraining herself then with a great effort, she raised her head and took Reo"s hand in both of hers; but not a word pa.s.sed on either side. And Gyda, who had meekly waited her turn, drew near and lifted one of Wych Hazel"s hands to her old lips. She too said nothing audibly, and made way for others of the household who were bashfully coming in.
"Now will you tell me, Dane," began Mrs. Coles, when the pause at her end of the room had lasted, as she thought long enough, "why you and Miss Kennedy have done things in this unheard-of sort of style?"
Perhaps Dane thought it was not a proper question, for he folded his arms and did not answer. Perhaps he did not hear her; for, though with no outward token of it, he was somewhat anxiously watching Wych Hazel.
"What made you do things in this way, to disappoint all the world?"
The lady"s face wore a smile which was meant to be gracious, however the words sounded not so.
"Prue," said Prim, "people have a right to be married in their own way."
"But my dear!?Don"t you think you owe something to society, Dane? In your position?"