The young parson had never had the pleasure of seeing one of these
war-dances before, and backed against the wall in his starched surplice.
"What brings him here? How dare he come uninvited?"
"I heard him say, my lady, that finding he had a Sunday to spare, he
thought he would come and pass it at Hartledon," said the well-trained
Hedges.
Ere the words had left his lips Lord Hartledon and Mr. Carr were present;
the latter in a state of utter amazement and in his travelling dress,
having only removed his overcoat.
"You'll be my groomsman, Carr," said Hartledon. "We have no adherents;
this is a strictly private affair."
"Did you send for Mr. Carr?" whispered the countess-dowager, looking
white through her rouge.
"No; his coming has taken me by surprise," replied Hartledon, with a
nervousness he could not wholly conceal.
They passed rapidly through the passages, marshalled by Hedges. Lord
Hartledon led his bride, the countess-dowager walked with the clergyman,
and Mr. Carr brought up the rear. The latter gentleman was wondering
whether he had fallen into a dream that he should wake up from in the
morning. The mode of procession was a little out of the common order of
such affairs; but so was the marriage.
Now it happened, not very long before this, that Dr. Ashton was on his
way home from a visit to a sick parishioner--a poor man, who said he
believed life had been prolonged in him that his many years' minister
should be at his deathbed.
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