He had a good deal of fair beard,
but it could not conceal the hollowness of his cheeks, and there were
great caves round his eyes, which were very bright and blue. Yet he
was called well, waited assiduously on little Lina, and talked with
animation.
"We have nailed the weathercock," he said, "and telegraphed to the
clerk of the weather-office not to let the wind change for a week."
"Meantime we have three delicious days to ourselves," said Sydney,
"before any of the nonsense and preparation begins."
"Indeed! As if Sydney were not continually drilling her unfortunate
children!"
"If you call the Psalms and hymns nonsense, Duke-—"
"No! no! But isn't there a course of instruction going on, how to
strew the flowers gracefully before the bride?"
"Well, I don't want them thrown at her head, as the children did at
the last wedding, when a great cowslip ball hit the bride in the eye.
So I told the mistress to show them how, and the other day we found
them in two lines, singing—-
"'This is the way the flowers we strew!'"
"I suppose Cecil is keeping his residence?"
"No. Did you not know that this little Church of ours is not
licensed for weddings? The parish Church is three miles off and a
temple of the winds. This is only a chapelry, there is a special
licence, and Cecil is hunting with the Hamptons, and comes with them
on Monday.
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