Part 14 (1/2)

”We suffer more than you do, always,” answered, after a moment, the woman he held in his arms. And then into her beautiful eyes, raised to meet his, there came such a world of feeling, some of it beyond his ken, that touched, stirred, feeling himself unworthy, yet exultant in his happiness, the man who loved her rested his lips on hers without attempting further reply.

A moment later he went up the stairs, and Sara turned the key of the front door. The Major, his wife and daughter, and the clergyman were now alone in the flower-encircled house. All its windows were open, and the flowers fairly seemed to be coming in, so near were they to the cas.e.m.e.nts; outside the Major's windows two great apple-trees, a ma.s.s of bloom, stretched out their long, flowering arms until they touched the sills.

The sun, now low down, was sinking towards Lonely mountain; he sent horizontal rays full into the ma.s.s of apple-blossoms, but could not penetrate them save as a faintly pink radiance, which fell upon the figure of Madam Carroll as she stood beside the bed. She wore one of her white dresses, but her face looked worn and old as the radiance brought out all its lines, and showed the many silver threads in her faded hair.

The Major was sitting up in bed; he had on a new dressing-gown, and was propped with cus.h.i.+ons.

”Has the clergyman come?” he said. He spoke indistinctly, but his wife could always understand him.

”Yes, he is here, Scarborough,” she answered, bending over him.

”He is welcome. Let him be seated,” said the Major, in his old ceremonial manner. Then he felt for his wife's arm, and pulled her sleeve. ”Am I dressed?” he asked, anxiously. ”Did you see to it? Is my hair smooth?” He supposed himself to be speaking in a whisper.

”Yes, Major, you have on your new dressing-gown, and it is of a beautiful color, and your hair is quite smooth.”

”I don't feel sure about the hair,” said the Major, still, as he supposed, confidentially. ”I don't remember that I brushed it.”

Madam Carroll took a brush from the table and gently smoothed the thin white locks.

”That is better,” he murmured. ”And my clean white silk handkerchief?”

”It is by your side, close to your hand.”

He thought for a moment. ”I ought to have a flower for my b.u.t.ton-hole, oughtn't I?” he added, looking about the room with his darkened eyes as if to find one.

Sara went to the window and broke off a spray of apple-blossoms from the tree outside. His wife gave it to him, and he tried to put it into the b.u.t.ton-hole of his dressing-gown; she did it for him, and then he was content. ”I am ready now,” he said, folding his hands.

Frederick Owen came forward; he wore his white robes of office. ”Dearly beloved, we are gathered together here in the sight of G.o.d to join together this man and this woman in holy matrimony,” he read, standing close to the Major, so that he could hear.

The Major listened with serenity; and of his own accord, when the time came, he answered, ”I will.”

When the longer answer was reached, Owen repeated it first, then Madam Carroll repeated it to the Major, as he could hear her voice more easily. ”I, Scarborough, take thee, Marion, to my wedded wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better for worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death us do part, according to G.o.d's holy ordinance; and thereto I plight thee my troth,” said the Major, in his indistinct tones, following her word by word, and holding the hand she had placed in his.