“None, Lieutenant1, except the instruction, be happy.” Mrs. Dean caught the slim, outstretched hands in hers and drew the beautiful vision in white brocade into her arms.
“Dearest child. I am so happy that this day has come for you.” she murmured. “We are favored by God, darling, in that General and I are not going to be called to give you up. We shall still be with you, only we shall have gained a dear son.”
“That is the most beautiful part of it all, Captain. I can never love Hal enough for wishing and arranging things so gloriously for us all.”
“I mustn’t embrace you to the extent of wrinkling your wedding gown,” her mother said half tremulously, as she held Marjorie off from her and rejoiced in her loveliness.
“That doesn’t make the least bit of difference.” Marjorie wrapped her arms about her mother afresh and hugged her hard.
237Her wedding gown was a marvel2 in a silvery white brocade satin. It was sleeveless and its simple artistic3 lines clung lovingly to her girlish slenderness. Around her neck was the string of pearls which her Sanford friends had given her at the party held in her honor at Gray Gables on the evening before she had started for Hamilton College as a freshman4.
Pinned to the front of her pearl-trimmed corsage was a diamond star, Hal’s wedding gift to her. It held in place a tiny knot of purple sweet-scented violets, from Brooke Hamilton’s garden. The misty5 fall of her veil about her lovely face brought out its beauty anew. Never, even as the violet girl, would Marjorie Dean appear more beautiful.
As she stood affectionately clasping her mother in the last few moments left her as Marjorie Dean she was feeling that life had been almost too perfect to her. The crowning happiness had come to her within the past few days. Unbeknown to her Hal had purchased the Clements’ estate across the pike from Hamilton Arms. There he and she would settle after their short honeymoon6 at his camp in the Adirondacks, and with them were to live General and Captain. Danny Seabrooke had purchased Castle Dean, and he and Jerry were to live in it when they should be married the following September.
For a week prior to the wedding Hamilton Arms had been in a state of dignified7 upheaval8. The marriage 238ceremony of Hal and Marjorie was to be performed by the Reverend Compton Greene at sunset. The great drawing room doors leading into a long back parlor9 had been removed, leaving a space almost as large as that of a church. No place could have been more ideally suited to the violet wedding which Marjorie had wished for. At the end of the long back parlor was a small balcony. On it were to be Constance Stevens, Harriet Delaney, Robin10 Page, Blanche Scott, Phyllis Moore and Charlie Stevens. These last two were to play the obligatos for the singers. All her dear friends far and near had been invited to the ceremony, and the entire student body of Hamilton to the reception to follow.
Vera Mason and Barbara Severn had been chosen by Marjorie as flower girls on account of their diminutive11 stature12. It was Marjorie’s idea to have as many of her chums as possible figure in the wedding ceremony. Ronny was to be the ring bearer. Jerry her maid of honor. The bridesmaids were to be Leila Harper, Leslie Cairns, Helen Trent, Muriel Harding, Lucy Warner and Doris Monroe.
She had studied long and patiently for a way to include the remaining Travelers of her chapter and those of the other two chapters, as well as the Bertram group of girls. Finally inspiration had hit upon a plan beautifully in keeping with her desire for a violet wedding. In pursuance of it she had gathered her chums, as well as the girls who were to take part in her plan, at Hamilton Arms, the day 239before the wedding. There a merry afternoon had been spent picking the long-stemmed purple single violets that grew in profusion13 in the meadow behind the Arms.
Each girl had gathered her own immense bouquet14 of violets, which she would carry at the wedding. Dressed in white they would form an aisle15 between which the bridal party would walk down the room to the altar. Each girl holding her violets, fastened with graceful16 streamers of pale violet ribbon.
Now the last plan had been carried out. Downstairs an eager company was seated on each side of the broad ribbon-enclosed aisle, awaiting the arrival of the bride.
Came a gentle knock on the door. In response to Marjorie’s “Come,” Miss Susanna entered, a distinguished17 little figure in her dull silver lace frock.
“I only came up for a last minute with Marjorie Dean,” she said. She took Marjorie very gently in her arms. “I wish you and Captain to come with me,” was her crisp request, after she and Marjorie had indulged in one of their hearty18 embraces.
She led them down the hall to her room. As they entered both Marjorie’s and her mother’s eyes were attracted to a new object in the room. It was a chest of some sort of creamy white rare wood polished to a high degree. On the lid and sides were painted exquisite19 clusters of double purple violets.
“This is Brooke Hamilton’s wedding present to 240you, child.” Miss Susanna’s brisk tones faltered20 a trifle. “It was Angela Vernon’s hope chest which he brought her from the far East. I could not find it in my heart to place it downstairs with your other gifts. It is only for us. And now I will say, too, that when I shall have passed on to the brightness of beyond, Hamilton Arms and all it entails21 will be yours. I shall always feel that Uncle Brooke knew and sent you to me, so that you may carry on the work of loving and preserving Hamilton College unto the perfect end after I shall have finished my part of it.”
Five minutes later Marjorie was smiling again after a sudden little tear shower that she had not tried to control. Then Miss Susanna and her captain left her, and her throng22 of pretty wedding attendants gathered in the upstairs hall for the formation to the altar. Jerry was looking her prettiest in her gown of pale violet chiffon and a huge bouquet of violets and orchids23. It was to be a hatless wedding. The bridesmaids were in orchid24 colored chiffon growns, each carrying a sheaf of white and purple lilacs. Ronny, as ring-bearer wore a marvelous gown of white gold-embroidered tissue. Robin and Barbara, as flower girls, wore crystal-beaded chiffon gowns of palest lavender and carried artistic long-handled baskets filled with white and purple sweet-scented violets.
The procession formed in anything but a stately manner. There was a great deal of fond laughing 241and talking, as the girls fluttered into place. First went the advance guard of white. They descended25 the stairs two by two, separating at the wide entrance doorway26 leading into the drawing room and taking their places inside the two stretches of broad violet satin ribbon.
Waiting only until the advance guard had formed below stairs, the bridesmaids led the way on Marjorie Dean’s most momentous27 journey. Behind them come Jerry, with a heart overflowing28 with happiness because she was Marjorie’s maid of honor.
Marjorie followed Jerry, her lovely face wearing the mildly serious expression which came to her naturally in moments of deep reverence29. She was so utterly30 beautiful in her brave white array that Hal, watching her with his heart in his eyes as she came drifting toward him, was convinced that he could never hope to be truly worthy31 of her. Ronny followed with the ring on a white velvet32 pillow, and the flower girls came last.
From the balcony came the tenderest of all love songs, “Oh, Promise Me.” The singers had begun the singing of it before the appearance of the bridal party. As the little procession began to move down the long aisle toward the white violet smothered33 altar, the exquisite third verse of the song which is seldom sung floated out upon the roomful of rapt spectators.
242Oh, promise me that when with bated breath
I wait the presence of the angel Death,
You will be near me, guide my faltering34 feet,
And softly breathe these words in accents sweet.
Come sometime to me from that distant shore
Caress35 and comfort as in days of yore;
Triumphant36 over death our life shall be:
Oh, promise me; oh, promise me.
Back on the wall behind the altar a blue-eyed man looked down from a portrait with the same kindly37, questioning expression Marjorie had always read in his fine eyes. She had asked that the study portrait might be brought down and hung on the wall behind the altar. “I should like him to be there,” she had said simply to Miss Susanna. The old lady had replied rather huskily: “I am sure he will be.”
When within a few feet of the flower-decked spot where Hal and his best man, Danny Seabrooke, waited for her, she cast a calm friendly glance upward at Brooke Hamilton’s portrait. She thought she could almost catch a gleam of approval in his eyes. Then her eyes wandered to Hal, and she smiled and blushed in a kind of tender confusion.
The wedding party took their places before the altar. At Marjorie’s request Mrs. Dean joined her husband and daughter there. Marjorie had declared that she could not be content not to have both her superior officers beside her at the great moment.
243Came the solemn, beautiful words of the Episcopal ring service. Marjorie loved the deep tones of Hal’s voice as he made his vows38 to her of life and death. Her own replies came clear and steady. She had found love and was happily confident for the future. Then their vows were plighted39 and Hal had placed the ring of their covenant40 upon her finger.
“Sweetheart,” he said, as he kissed the little ringed hand and then sought her lips. Then he whispered with the fondness of proud possession: “Marjorie Dean Macy.”
The End
点击
收听单词发音
收听单词发音 |
1
lieutenant
|
|
| n.陆军中尉，海军上尉；代理官员，副职官员 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
2
marvel
|
|
| vi.(at)惊叹vt.感到惊异；n.令人惊异的事 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
3
artistic
|
|
| adj.艺术(家)的，美术(家)的；善于艺术创作的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
4
freshman
|
|
| n.大学一年级学生(可兼指男女) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
5
misty
|
|
| adj.雾蒙蒙的，有雾的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
6
honeymoon
|
|
| n.蜜月（假期）；vi.度蜜月 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
7
dignified
|
|
| a.可敬的，高贵的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
8
upheaval
|
|
| n.胀起，(地壳)的隆起；剧变，动乱 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
9
parlor
|
|
| n.店铺，营业室；会客室，客厅 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
10
robin
|
|
| n.知更鸟，红襟鸟 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
11
diminutive
|
|
| adj.小巧可爱的，小的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
12
stature
|
|
| n.（高度）水平，（高度）境界，身高，身材 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
13
profusion
|
|
| n.挥霍；丰富 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
14
bouquet
|
|
| n.花束，酒香 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
15
aisle
|
|
| n.（教堂、教室、戏院等里的）过道，通道 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
16
graceful
|
|
| adj.优美的，优雅的；得体的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
17
distinguished
|
|
| adj.卓越的，杰出的，著名的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
18
hearty
|
|
| adj.热情友好的；衷心的；尽情的，纵情的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
19
exquisite
|
|
| adj.精美的；敏锐的；剧烈的，感觉强烈的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
20
faltered
|
|
| （嗓音）颤抖( falter的过去式和过去分词 )； 支吾其词； 蹒跚； 摇晃 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
21
entails
|
|
| 使…成为必要( entail的第三人称单数 )； 需要； 限定继承； 使必需 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
22
throng
|
|
| n.人群，群众；v.拥挤，群集 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
23
orchids
|
|
| n.兰花( orchid的名词复数 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
24
orchid
|
|
| n.兰花，淡紫色 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
25
descended
|
|
| a.为...后裔的，出身于...的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
26
doorway
|
|
| n.门口，(喻)入门；门路，途径 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
27
momentous
|
|
| adj.重要的，重大的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
28
overflowing
|
|
| n. 溢出物,溢流 adj. 充沛的，充满的 动词overflow的现在分词形式 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
29
reverence
|
|
| n.敬畏，尊敬，尊严；Reverence:对某些基督教神职人员的尊称；v.尊敬，敬畏，崇敬 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
30
utterly
|
|
| adv.完全地，绝对地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
31
worthy
|
|
| adj.(of)值得的，配得上的；有价值的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
32
velvet
|
|
| n.丝绒，天鹅绒；adj.丝绒制的，柔软的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
33
smothered
|
|
| （使）窒息， （使）透不过气( smother的过去式和过去分词 )； 覆盖； 忍住； 抑制 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
34
faltering
|
|
| 犹豫的，支吾的，蹒跚的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
35
caress
|
|
| vt./n.爱抚，抚摸 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
36
triumphant
|
|
| adj.胜利的，成功的；狂欢的，喜悦的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
37
kindly
|
|
| adj.和蔼的，温和的，爽快的；adv.温和地，亲切地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
38
vows
|
|
| 誓言( vow的名词复数 )； 郑重宣布，许愿 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
39
plighted
|
|
| vt.保证，约定（plight的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
40
covenant
|
|
| n.盟约，契约；v.订盟约 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
| 欢迎访问英文小说网 |