John Lytton and Mr. Lyle were coming up the stairs, and the little bridal procession was forming in the hall below.
Mr. Lyle came in and spoke to Dr. Jones.
"With Mrs. Cavendish"s permission, even now, at the last moment, we must make some slight changes in the programme," he said.
"Well?" inquired Dr. Jones, pleasantly.
"I was to have performed the ceremony and you were to have given the bride away?"
"Yes."
"Well, we must change that. Mr. Lytton has but one groomsman. I must act in that capacity also. You will please perform the ceremony, and Mr.
John Lytton here will have the honor of giving the bride away."
John Lytton bowed.
"I am quite willing. I will speak to Mrs. Cavendish," said Dr. Jones, who went to his mother"s chair and explained the situation to her.
"Certainly; be it as you will," she said.
Mr. Lyle then returned to the foot of the stairs and placed himself beside Laura Lytton, who was acting as first bride-maid.
John Lytton and Dr. Jones remained in the room.
The little bridal procession soon entered and ranged themselves in order before the minister.
Emma, as Electra had said, looked beautiful as a woman and elegant as a bride. Her bride-maids also were very fair to see.
The ceremony was commenced with great impressiveness.
Old Mrs. Cavendish listened with the deepest attention, leaning back in her easy-chair and sniffing at her bottle of ammonia.
John Lytton gave away the bride as if he were making a magnificent present at his own expense.
Emma Cavendish not only wore her mother"s bridal veil, but was married with her mother"s wedding-ring.
Dr. Beresford Jones p.r.o.nounced the benediction.
And Alden Lytton and Emma Cavendish were made one in law, as they had long been in mind and heart.
CHAPTER XL.
AFTER THE HOLY WEDDING.
The bride rose from her knee And she kissed the lips of her mother dead Or ever she kissed me.
--E. B. BROWNING.
The benediction was scarcely spoken before the fair bride left her bridegroom"s side and moved softly and swiftly to the side of the easy-chair, where the form of her ancestress lay reclining.
All eyes followed her strange action, as she knelt beside the chair and took the wasted hand of its occupant in her own. And some saw what Emma had been the first to discover--that the happy spirit of the aged lady was even then departing.
She spoke no word more, but slowly raising her hand she laid it gently, as in silent blessing, on the bowed head of her young descendant, and so, with a radiant smile, pa.s.sed away heavenward.
"She"s dropped asleep, my dear," said honest, stupid John Lytton, bending over to look at the closed eyes and peaceful face.
"She has fainted. This has been too much for her," said Mrs. Fanning, catching up the vial of ammonia and coming with the intention of administering it.
"She is neither sleeping nor swooning. She has risen," said Emma.
And, calmly putting aside the useless drug, she arose and reverently pressed a kiss upon the lifeless lips.
A moment of deep silence followed her words.
Then Dr. Jones, the son, himself an aged man, drew near and tenderly took up the lifeless hand and looked into the motionless face, and with a profound sigh turned away.
While this group was still gathered around the chair of death, the door was silently opened and the family physician entered the room and stood among them.
"She is gone, Doctor Willet," said the son, turning to greet the new-comer.
The physician nodded gravely to the sorrowing speaker, bowed to the a.s.sembled friends, and pa.s.sed through them, as they made way for him to approach the body. He felt the wrist, where there was no pulse, looked into the eyes, where there was no light, and then, with a grave and silent nod, he confirmed the opinion of Dr. Jones.
Electra, who had been incredulous all this time about the reality of the death, and was anxiously watching the face of the physician, now burst into violent weeping, and had to be led from the room by Joseph Brent--Victor Hartman.
Emma stood, pale as marble, with her eyes cast down, her lips lightly pressed together, and her hands closely clasped.
"Take your young bride away also, Mr. Lytton. She is exerting great self-command now; but she can not much longer control her feelings,"
said Dr. Willet.
"Come, love," whispered the bridegroom, as he pa.s.sed his arm gently around the waist of the now weeping girl and drew her away from the scene of death.
Mr. John Lytton followed them out, with the half-frightened air of a culprit stealing away from detection.
There now remained in the room of death the aged son, Dr. Beresford Jones, the family physician, Dr. Willet, the minister of the parish, the Rev. Mr. Lyle, and the two ladies, Mrs. Fanning and Laura Lytton.
"She pa.s.sed away very gently, without the least suffering," said Mrs.
Fanning.
"I thought she would do so. Hers has been a really physiological death, of ripe and pure old age," answered the doctor.
After a little more conversation the gentlemen withdrew, leaving the remains to the care of the two ladies, while they went to commence arrangements for the funeral.
Four days after this the body of Mrs. Cavendish was laid in the family vault, beside those of her husband and her son, the late governor.
The old lady had been long and widely known, and deeply and sincerely loved and honored, and her funeral was as largely attended as had been that of her son, some years before. After these solemn offices had all been performed the friends a.s.sembled to consult and make arrangements for the temporary disposition of the family left behind.