Part 54 (2/2)

”Oh, admirable! But, Kinch, can't you go down, and implore Caddy to come up and dress--time is slipping away very fast?”

”Oh, I daren't,” answered Kinch, with a look of alarm--”I don't dare to go down now that I'm dressed. She'll want me to carry something up to the supper-room if I do--a pile of dishes, or something of the kind. I'd like to oblige you, Mrs. Walters, but it's worth my new suit to do it.”

Under these circ.u.mstances, Kinch was excused; and a deputation, headed by Mr. Walters, was sent into the lower regions to wait upon Caddy, who prevailed upon her to come up and dress, which she did, being all the while very red in the face, and highly indignant at being sent for so often.

”Good gracious!” she exclaimed, ”what a pucker you are all in!”

”Why, Caddy, it's time to be,” replied Esther--”it wants eight minutes of the hour.”

”And that is just three minutes more than I should want for dressing if I was going to be married myself,” rejoined she; and hastening away, she returned in an incredibly short time, all prepared for the ceremony.

Charlie was very handsomely got up for the occasion. Emily, Esther, Caddy--in fact, all of them--agreed that he never looked better in his life. ”That is owing to me--all my doings,” said Kinch exultingly. ”He wanted to order his suit of old Forbes, who hasn't looked at a fas.h.i.+on-plate for the last ten years, and I wouldn't let him. I took him to my man, and see what he has made of him--turned him out looking like a bridegroom, instead of an old man of fifty! It's all owing to me,” said the delighted Kinch, who skipped about the entry until he upset a vase of flowers that stood on a bracket behind him; whereupon Caddy ran and brought a towel, and made him take off his white gloves and wipe up the water, in spite of his protestations that the shape of his pantaloons would not bear the strain of stooping.

At last the hour arrived, and the bridal party descended to the drawing-room in appropriate order, and stood up before Father Banks. The ceremony was soon over, and Emily was clasped in Mrs. Ellis's arms, who called her ”daughter,” and kissed her cheek with such warm affection that she no longer felt herself an orphan, and paid back with tears and embraces the endearments that were lavished upon her by her new relatives.

Father Banks took an early opportunity to give them each some good advice, and managed to draw them apart for that purpose. He told them how imperfect and faulty were all mankind--that married life was not all _couleur de rose_--that the trials and cares incident to matrimony fully equalled its pleasures; and besought them to bear with each other patiently, to be charitable to each other's faults--and a reasonable share of earthly happiness must be the result.

Then came the supper. Oh! such a supper!--such quant.i.ties of nice things as money and skill alone can bring together. There were turkeys innocent of a bone, into which you might plunge your knife to the very hilt without coming in contact with a splinter--turkeys from which cunning cooks had extracted every bone leaving the meat alone behind, with the skin not perceptibly broken. How brown and tempting they looked, their capacious bosoms giving rich promise of high-seasoned dressing within, and looking larger by comparison with the tiny reed-birds beside them, which lay cosily on the golden toast, looking as much as to say, ”If you want something to remember for ever, come and give me a bite!”

Then there were dishes of stewed terrapin, into which the initiated dipped at once, and to which they for some time gave their undivided attention, oblivious, apparently, of the fact that there was a dish of chicken-salad close beside them.

Then there were oysters in every variety--silver dishes containing them stewed, their fragrant macey odour wafting itself upward, and causing watery sensations about the mouth. Waiters were constantly rus.h.i.+ng into the room, bringing dishes of them fried so richly brown, so smoking hot, that no man with a heart in his bosom could possibly refuse them. Then there were gla.s.s dishes of them pickled, with little black spots of allspice floating on the pearly liquid that contained them. And lastly, oysters broiled, whose delicious flavour exceeds my powers of description--these, with ham and tongue, were the solid comforts. There were other things, however, to which one could turn when the appet.i.te grew more dainty; there were jellies, blancmange, chocolate cream, biscuit glace, peach ice, vanilla ice, orange-water ice, brandy peaches, preserved strawberries and pines; not to say a word of towers of candy, bonbons, kisses, champagne, Rhine wine, sparkling Catawba, liquors, and a man in the corner making sherry cobblers of wondrous flavour, under the especial supervision of Kinch; on the whole, it was an American supper, got up regardless of expense--and whoever has been to such an entertainment knows very well what an American supper is.

What a merry happy party it was--how they all seemed to enjoy themselves--and how they all laughed, when the bride essayed to cut the cake, and could not get the knife through the icing--and how the young girls put pieces away privately, that they might place them under their pillows to dream upon! What a happy time they had!

Father Banks enjoyed himself amazingly; he eat quant.i.ties of stewed terrapin, and declared it the best he ever tasted. He talked gravely to the old people--cheerfully and amusingly to the young; and was, in fact, having a most delightful time--when a servant whispered to him that there was a person in the entry who wished to see him immediately.

”Oh dear!” he exclaimed to Mr. Balch, ”I was just congratulating myself that I should have one uninterrupted evening, and you see the result--called off at this late hour.”

Father Banks followed the servant from the room, and inquired of the messenger what was wanted.

”You must come to the hospital immediately, sir; the man with the typhus-fever--you saw him yesterday--he's dying; he says he must see you--that he has something important to confess. I'm to go for a magistrate as well.”

”Ah!” said Father Banks, ”you need go no further, Alderman Balch is here--he is quite competent to receive his depositions.”

”I'm heartily glad of it,” replied the man, ”it will save me another hunt.

I had a hard time finding you. I've been to your house and two or three other places, and was at last sent here. I'll go back and report that you are coming and will bring a magistrate with you.”

”Very good,” rejoined Father Banks, ”do so. I will be there immediately.”

Hastening back to the supper room, he discovered Mr. Balch in the act of helping himself to a brandy peach, and apprised him of the demand for his services.

”Now, Banks,” said he, good-humouredly, ”that is outrageous. Why did you not let him go for some one else? It is too bad to drag me away just when the fun is about to commence.” There was no alternative, however, and Mr.

Balch prepared to follow the minister to the bedside of McCloskey.

When they arrived at the hospital, they found him fast sinking--the livid colour of his face, the sunken gla.s.sy eyes, the white lips, and the blue tint that surrounded the eyes and mouth told at once the fearful story.

Death had come. He was in full possession of his faculties, and told them all. How Stevens had saved him from the gallows--and how he agreed to murder Mr. Garie--of his failure when the time of action arrived, and how, in consequence, Stevens had committed the deed, and how he had paid him time after time to keep his secret.

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