CHAPTER XXXVII
"IN THE FACE OF THIS CONGREGATION"
The society paragraphs would have described it as "a very quiet
wedding," when Garth and Jane, a few days later, were pronounced
"man and wife together," in the little Episcopal church among the
hills.
Perhaps, to those who were present, it stands out rather as an
unusual wedding, than as a quiet one.
To Garth and Jane the essential thing was to be married, and left to
themselves, with as little delay as possible. They could not be
induced to pay any attention to details as to the manner in which
this desired end was to be attained. Jane left it entirely to the
doctor, in one practical though casual sentence: "Just make sure it
is valid, Dicky; and send us in the bills."
The duchess, being a true conservative, early began mentioning
veils, orange-blossom, and white satin; but Jane said: "My dear
Aunt! Fancy me--in orange-blossom! I should look like a Christmas
pantomime. And I never wear veils, even in motors; and white satin
is a form of clothing I have always had the wisdom to avoid."
"Then in what do you intend to be married, unnatural girl?" inquired
the duchess.
"In whatever I happen to put on, that morning," replied Jane,
knotting the silk of a soft crimson cord she was knitting; and
glancing out of the window, to where Garth sat smoking, on the
terrace.
"Have you a time-table?" inquired her Grace of Meldrum, with
dangerous calmness. "And can you send me to the station this
afternoon?"
"We can always send to the station, at a moment's notice," said
Jane, working in a golden strand, and considering the effect. "But
where are you going, dear Aunt 'Gina? You know Deryck and Flower
arrive this evening."
"I am washing my hands of you, and going South," said the duchess,
wrathfully.
"Don't do that, dear," said Jane, placidly. "You have washed your
hands of me so often; and, like the blood of King Duncan of
Scotland, I am upon them still. 'All the perfumes of Arabia will not
sweeten this little hand.'" Then, raising her voice: "Garth, if you
want to walk, just give a call. I am here, talking over my trousseau
with Aunt 'Gina."
"What is a trousseau?" came back in Garth's happy voice.
"A thing you get into to be married," said Jane.
"Then let's get into it quickly," shouted Garth, with enthusiasm.
"Dear Aunt," said Jane, "let us make a compromise. I have some quite
nice clothes upstairs, including Redfern tailor-mades, and several
uniforms. Let your maid look through them, and whatever you select,
and she puts out in readiness on my wedding morning, I promise to
wear."
This resulted in Jane appearing at the church in a long blue cloth
coat and skirt, handsomely embroidered with gold, and suiting her
large figure to perfection; a deep yellow vest of brocaded silk; and
old lace ruffles at neck and wrists.
Garth was as anxious about his wedding garments, as Jane had been
indifferent over hers; but he had so often been in requisition as
best-man at town weddings, that Simpson had no difficulty in turning
him out in the acme of correct bridal attire. And very handsome he
looked, as he stood waiting at the chancel steps; not watching for
his bride; but obviously listening for her; for, as Jane came up the
church on Deryck's arm, Garth slightly turned his head and smiled.
The duchess--resplendent in purple satin and ermine, with white
plumes in her bonnet, and many jewelled chains depending from her,
which rattled and tinkled, in the silence of the church, every time
she moved--was in a front pew on the left, ready to give her niece
away.
In a corresponding seat, on the opposite side, as near as possible
to the bridegroom, sat Margery Graem, in black silk, with a small
quilted satin bonnet, and a white lawn kerchief folded over the
faithful old heart which had beaten in tenderness for Garth since
his babyhood. She turned her head anxiously, every time the duchess
jingled; but otherwise kept her eyes fixed on the marriage service,
in a large-print prayer-book in her lap. Margery was not used to the
Episcopal service, and she had her "doots" as to whether it could
possibly be gone through correctly, by all parties concerned. In
fact this anxiety of old Margery's increased so painfully when the
ceremony actually commenced, that it took audible form; and she
repeated all the answers of the bridal pair, in an impressive
whisper, after them.
Dr. Rob, being the only available bachelor, did duty as best-man;
Jane having stipulated that he should not be intrusted with the
ring; her previous observations leading her to conclude that he
would most probably slip it unconsciously on to his finger, and then
search through all his own pockets and all Garth's; and begin taking
up the church matting, before it occurred to him to look at his
hand. Jane would not have minded the diversion, but she did object
to any delay. So the ring went to church in Garth's waistcoat
pocket, where it had lived since Jane brought it out from Aberdeen;
and, without any fumbling or hesitation, was quietly laid by him
upon the open book.
Dr. Rob had charge of the fees for clerk, verger, bell-ringers, and
every person, connected with the church, who could possibly have a
tip pressed upon them.
Garth was generous in his gladness, and eager to do all things in a
manner worthy of the great gift made fully his that day. So Dr. Rob
was well provided with the wherewithal; and this he jingled in his
pockets as soon as the exhortation commenced, and his interest in
the proceedings resulted in his fatal habit of unconsciousness of
his own actions. Thus he and the duchess kept up a tinkling duet,
each hearing the other, and not their own sounds. So the duchess
glared at Dr. Rob; and Dr. Rob frowned at the duchess; and old
Margery looked tearfully at both.
Deryck Brand, the tallest man in the church, his fine figure showing
to advantage in the long frock coat with silk facings, which Lady
Brand had pronounced indispensable to the occasion, retired to a
seat beside his wife, just behind old Margery, as soon as he had
conducted Jane to Garth's side. As Jane removed her hand from his
arm, she turned and smiled at him; and a long look passed between
them. All the memories, all the comprehension, all the trust and
affection of years, seemed to concentrate in that look; and Lady
Brand's eyes dropped to her dainty white and gold prayer-book. She
had never known jealousy; the doctor had never given her any
possible reason for acquiring that cruel knowledge. His Flower
bloomed for him; and her fragrance alone made his continual joy. All
other lovely women were mere botanical specimens, to be examined and
classified. But Flower had never quite understood the depth of the
friendship between her husband and Jane, founded on the associations
and aspirations of childhood and early youth, and a certain
similarity of character which would not have wedded well, but which
worked out into a comradeship, providing a source of strength for
both. Of late, Flower had earnestly tried to share, even while
failing to comprehend, it.
Perhaps she, in her pale primrose gown, with daffodils at her waist,
and sunbeams in her golden hair, was the most truly bridal figure in
the church. As the doctor turned from the bride, and sought his
place beside her in the pew, he looked at the sweet face, bent so
demurely over the prayer-book, and thought he had never seen his
wife look more entrancingly lovely. Unconsciously his hand strayed
to the white rosebud she had fastened in his coat as they strolled
round the conservatory together that morning. Flower, glancing up,
surprised his look. She did not think it right to smile in church;
but a delicate wave of colour swept over her face, and her cheek
leaned as near the doctor's shoulder, as the size of her hat would
allow. Flower felt quite certain that was a look the doctor had
never given Jane.
The service commenced. The short-sighted clergyman, very nervous,
and rather overwhelmed by the unusual facts of a special license, a
blind bridegroom, and the reported presence of a duchess, began
reading very fast, in an undertone, which old Margery could not
follow, though her finger, imprisoned in unwonted kid, hurried along
the lines. Then conscious of his mistake, he slowed down, and became
too impressive; making long nerve-straining pauses, fled in by the
tinkling of the duchess, and the chinking in Dr. Rob's trousers-
pockets.
Thus they arrived at the demand upon the congregation, if they could
show any just cause why these two persons might not lawfully be
joined together, NOW to speak--and the pause here was so long, and
so over-powering, that old Margery said "nay"; and then gave a
nervous sob. The bridegroom turned and smiled in the direction of
the voice; and the doctor, leaning forward, laid his hand on the
trembling shoulder, and whispered: "Steady, old friend. It is all
right."
There was no pause whatever after the solemn charge to the couple;
so if Garth and Jane had any secrets to disclose, they had perforce
to keep them for after discussion.
Then Jane found her right hand firmly clasped in Garth's; and no
inadequacy of the Church's mouth-piece could destroy the exquisite
beauty of the Church's words, in which Garth was asked if he would
take her to be his own.
To this, Garth, and old Margery, said. they would; with considerable
display of emotion.
Then the all-comprehensive question was put to Jane; the Church
seeming to remind her gently, that she took him in his blindness,
with all which that might entail.
Jane said: "I will"; and the deep, tender voice, was the voice of
The Rosary.
When the words were uttered, Garth lifted the hand he held, and
reverently kissed it.
This was not in the rubric, and proved disconcerting to the
clergyman. He threw up his head suddenly, and inquired: "Who giveth
this woman to be married to this man?" And as, for the moment, there
was no response, he repeated, the question wildly; gazing into
distant corners of the church.
Then the duchess, who up to that time had been feeling a little
bored, realised that her moment had come, and rejoiced. She sailed
out of her pew, and advanced to the chancel step. "My dear good
man," she said; "_I_ give my niece away; having come north at
considerable inconvenience for that express purpose. Now, go on.
What do we do next?"
Dr. Rob broke into an uncontrollable chuckle. The duchess lifted her
lorgnette, and surveyed him. Margery searched her prayer-book in
vain for the duchess's response. It did not appear to be there.
Flower looked in distressed appeal at the doctor. But the doctor was
studying, with grave intentness, a stencilled pattern on the chancel
roof; and paid no attention to Flower's nudge.
The only people completely unconscious of anything unusual in the
order of proceedings appeared to be the bride and bridegroom. They
were taking each other "in the sight of God, and in the face of this
congregation." They were altogether absorbed in each other, standing
together in the sight of God; and the deportment of "this
congregation" was a matter they scarcely noticed. "People always
behave grotesquely at weddings," Jane had said to Garth, beforehand;
"and ours will be no exception to the general rule. But we can close
our eyes, and stand together in Sightless Land; and Deryck will take
care it is valid."
"Not in Sightless Land, my beloved," said Garth; "but in the Land
where they need no candle neither light of the sun. However, and
wherever, I take YOU as my wife, I shall be standing on the summit
of God's heaven."
So they stood; and in their calmness the church hushed to silence.
The service proceeded; and the minister, who had not known how to
keep them from clasping hands when the rubric did not require it,
found no difficulty in inducing them to do so again.
So they took each other--these two, who were so deeply each other's
already--solemnly, reverently, tenderly, in the sight of God, they
took each other, according to God's holy ordinance; and the wedding
ring, type of that eternal love which has neither beginning nor
ending, passed from Garth's pocket, over the Holy Book, on to Jane's
finger.
When it was over, she took his arm; and leaning upon it, so that he
could feel she leaned, guided him to the vestry.
Afterwards, in the brougham, for those few precious minutes, when
husband and wife find themselves alone for the first time, Garth
turned to Jane with an eager naturalness, which thrilled her heart
as no studied speech could have done. He did not say: "My wife."
That unique moment had been theirs, three years before.
"Dearest," he said, "how soon will they all go? How soon shall we be
quite alone? Oh, why couldn't they drive to the station from the
church?"
Jane looked at her watch. "Because we must lunch them, dear," she
said. "Think how good they have all been. And we could not start our
married life by being inhospitable. It is just one o'clock; and we
ordered luncheon at half-past. Their train leaves the station at
half-past four. In three hours, Garth, we shall be alone."
"Shall I be able to behave nicely for three hours?" exclaimed Garth,
boyishly.
"You must," said Jane, "or I shall fetch Nurse Rosemary."
"Oh hush!" he said. "All that is too precious, to-day, for chaff.
Jane"--he turned suddenly, and laid his hand on hers--"Jane! Do you
understand that you are now--actually--my wife?"
Jane took his hand, and held it against her heart, just where she so
often had pressed her own, when she feared he would hear it
throbbing.
"My darling," she said, "I do not understand it. But I know--ah,
thank God!--I know it to be true."
