“O, do, do, do fetch a knife!” whimpered Nelly. “I shall never be dressed in time! I must have a knife to open these horrible old hooks, that have flattened5 down when ’Lisbeth ran an iron along the back plait. O, what shall I do? I shall never be ready! And the old chilblains have swelled6 up on my heels, and I can’t get on those little satin boots; and I can’t go in my others, because they haven’t got high heels. I could sit down and have a good cry—that I could! Here, ’Lisbeth—’Lisbeth! why don’t Miss l’Aiguille come and help some of us?”
“Lor, miss, how you do talk!” cried the excited ’Lisbeth. “And is that what you called me back for? Miss Luggle’s a-doing of Miss Lorror, and couldn’t leave her, was it ever so. There, don’t stop me, miss; they’re waiting for pins, and there’ll be no end of a row if I don’t go.”
“But, please, come and do my back hair, ’Lisbeth,” cried one of the bridesmaids—a cousin, who was staying in the house.
“Lor, miss, I can’t. You must ask Miss Nelly!” cried ’Lisbeth, vainly struggling to get out, for Nelly was holding on with both hands to her dress, and dragging her back.
“There, do let go, Miss Nelly—pray! Here, miss, ask your cousin to leave go, and come and do it. She’ll put it right—beautiful!”
“But she has done it twice,” cried the other; “and see how it has come tumbling down again; it’s worse now than if it hadn’t been touched!”
“I don’t care; I shan’t try any more,” whimpered Nelly. “I can’t get dressed decent. But you’ll all have to wait for me; for I’m sure Charley Vining won’t go to be married if I ain’t there.”
“For goodness gracious’ sake, now just look there, Miss Nelly, at what you’ve been and done! You’ve pulled all the gathers out of my frock!”
“Don’t care!” said Nelly, throwing herself down, half-dressed, into a chair. “Fasten ’em up again: you’ve got lots of pins.”
“’Lisbeth—’Lisbeth!” was shouted from the passage, and the girl disappeared.
We have nothing to do with the bride’s mental sufferings at present, the remarks now made appertaining to dress alone; but she must have borne something at the hands of Miss l’aiguille and her staff of assistants, before, tall, dark, and handsome, she stood amidst a diaphanous7 cloud of drapery, which floated from and around her, descending8, as it were, from the orange wreath twined amidst her magnificent raven9 ringlets.
Miss l’aiguille clasped her hands, and went down upon one knee in an ecstasy10 of admiration11 at the glorious being she had made, as a gentle chorus of “O!” and “O, miss!” was raised by her satellites; while, wonderful to relate, when she descended12 to the drawing-room, she was not the last, for two of the bridesmaids were not ready.
But Mrs Bray13 was there, gorgeous to behold14, bearing upon her everything in the shape of costly15 dress that money would purchase. To describe her costume would be simply impossible, save to say that it was as solid-looking as her daughter’s was light and airy—the plaits and folds of her silken robe literally16 creaked and crackled as she moved, which was all of a piece. Colour there was too; but what, it would be impossible to say, the prevailing17 hue18 being warm scarlet19, which was shed upon Mr Bray, whose white vest was so stiff and grand, that nothing could have been whiter and stiffer and grander, unless it was the tremendous cravat20 that held his head as if he was being garotted—symptoms of strangulation being really visible in the prominence21 of his eyes. But then, as he said, in regard to his sufferings, he did not have a daughter married every day.
“I should have liked for Mr Maximilian to have been here,” said Mrs Bray, as they were waiting for Nelly, who, now under the hands of Miss l’Aiguille, was being made up rapidly—her thin bony form growing quite graceful22 under the dressmakers fingers.
“Bless me, though, what is the matter?” cried Mrs Bray. “Laura my dear, pray don’t faint in those things, whatever you do!”
“Hush!” cried Laura hoarsely23, as, by a strong effort, she recovered herself. “Did you—did you say Max was here?”
“No—no! I said I wished he was here,” said Mrs Bray pettishly24. “I do not see what you have got to turn queer about in that. Your own brother too!”
Laura gave a sigh of relief and then closed her eyes for a few moments.
“Only a little while now,” she thought.
The hour was very near, and surely nothing could stay the event.
Then, summoning her resolution she began to pace slowly up and down the room. No tremulous maiden25 now, but a firm determined26 woman, who told herself that she had persevered27 and won the lover—the husband soon.
“What are we waiting for?” said Mr Bray.
“Two bridesmaids,” said Mrs Bray: “Nelly and Miss Barnett. But we have plenty of time; and the Miss Lingons are not here yet. O, here they are, though!”
The young ladies were set down at the door as she spoke28; and soon the Bray drawing-room was well filled.
The horses were pawing up the gravel29, to the disgust of the gardener, who thought of the rolling to be done; but went and drowned his sorrows in some of the beer on the way, with ample solids, in the Bray kitchen.
A bright brisk winterly day, with a wind that kissed each cheek as bride-elect and bridesmaids descended the steps, and entered the carriages drawn30 up in turn. Rattle31, rattle, bang! went steps and doors; footmen were more upright than ever, and raised their chests into glorious hills, crowned with white satin-and-silver wedding-favours—Mrs Bray insisting upon their being mounted at once.
A grinding of the gravel, and first one and then another carriage departing, Laura, with Mr Bray, completing the cortege; Mrs Bray going before, after declaring that she ought to have stopped behind to superintend the wedding-breakfast arrangements.
And proud was Mr Bray of the stern handsome girl before him; for he had given up the whole of the back seat to his daughter—and her dress. The pallor and look of dread32 seemed now to have passed away, as if Laura, by her determination, had exorcised the phantom33 of coming ill; and well-merited were the remarks made, as a glance was obtained at the beauty “arrayed for the bridal.”
People had plenty of ill-natured things to say when the wedding was first settled; but now all these remarks were forgotten; and again and again, as the Bray carriage rolled on towards the church, there was a cheer raised; while, on coming abreast34 of the Lexville Boys’ School, there was a tremendous scattering35 volley of shouts, followed by a rush, for the boys were to have a holiday for the occasion; and away they went to the churchyard, to cluster thickly on walls, tombstones, and iron railings—wherever they could find a post of vantage.
Carpet rolled down to the church-gate, and the clerk in a state of fume36 and worry, that brought him, in spite of the wintry day, into a profuse37 perspiration38, because, no matter how he “begged and prayed,” people would walk over the carpet, and print upon it the mark of their dirty boots.
The church was filled in every part where a view of the communion-table could be obtained; and the pew-openers gave up at last in despair, for the people would stand on the cushions. The organist was ready with the “Wedding March”—Mendelssohn’s, of course—and the ringers were already giving those thirsty lips of theirs a dry wipe, in anticipation39 of the beer to be on the way by and by, when they made the town echo with a peal1 of bob-majors and grandsire-caters. While last, but not least, and posted side by side with panting Miss l’Aiguille, who had run down, and was now promising40 him an account of each lady’s dress, with the proper terms to be applied41 thereto—was the reporter of the local paper, busy at work with a spikey pencil.
He had already put down a list of the notabilities present—people whom “we observed”—and had added the name of the officiating clergyman, who was to be assisted by a couple more; the two being now engaged in robing in the vestry.
There was no mistake about its being a errand wedding; for the covers were off the communion hassocks—those worked by the Lexville ladies—and people were on the tiptoe of expectation, for the hour was at hand.
Wheels!
“Here they come: the bridegroom, of course!” “’Tain’t. It’s some ladies!” “’Tain’t, I tell you; the bridegroom always comes first.” “Sir Philip’s chariot is to have four horses, and the first and second grooms42 are to ride post in blue and silver, and black-velvet caps.” “There, I was right—they are ladies.”
Such were a few of the buzzing remarks made as the leading carriage drew up to the gates, and the first batch43 of friends and bridesmaids descended, hurried up to the old church porch, shook out their plumage, and then swept gracefully44 up the nave45, while remarks full of admiration were passed by those excited fair ones who would not miss a wedding on any consideration, and had duly posted in their mental ledgers46 the account of every affair that had taken place at Lexville church for the last twenty years; though, during all that long space of time, no one had ever asked them to take the little journey for the purpose of saying, “I will.”
Wheels again, and another buzz of excited voices, for this time there is a volley of cheers faintly heard.
This is the bridegroom, then; and there is a perfect rustle47 amongst the ancient and modern doves of Lexville to catch a good glimpse of the stalwart handsome heir of Blandfield.
But the next minute the rustle subsides48, for the carriage that stopped at the gate only brought friends and bridesmaids. And so did the next, and the next, till the chancel began to wear a goodly aspect, though every face was turned now towards the entrance, and all were upon the extreme point of the tiptoe of expectation.
“The bridegroom ought to be here now,” said some one in the chancel.
“Isn’t Charley Vining here, then?” whispered Nelly to her cousin.
But there was no answer.
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收听单词发音
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1
peal
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| n.钟声；v.鸣响 | |
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obstinate
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| adj.顽固的，倔强的，不易屈服的，较难治愈的 | |
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3
plentiful
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| adj.富裕的，丰富的 | |
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4
disposition
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| n.性情，性格；意向，倾向；排列，部署 | |
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5
flattened
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| [医]（水）平扁的，弄平的 | |
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6
swelled
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| 增强( swell的过去式和过去分词 )； 肿胀； （使）凸出； 充满（激情） | |
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7
diaphanous
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| adj.(布)精致的，半透明的 | |
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8
descending
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| n. 下行 adj. 下降的 | |
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9
raven
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| n.渡鸟，乌鸦；adj.乌亮的 | |
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10
ecstasy
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| n.狂喜，心醉神怡，入迷 | |
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admiration
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| n.钦佩，赞美，羡慕 | |
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12
descended
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| a.为...后裔的，出身于...的 | |
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bray
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| n.驴叫声, 喇叭声；v.驴叫 | |
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14
behold
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| v.看，注视，看到 | |
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costly
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| adj.昂贵的，价值高的，豪华的 | |
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16
literally
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| adv.照字面意义，逐字地；确实 | |
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17
prevailing
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| adj.盛行的；占优势的；主要的 | |
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18
hue
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| n.色度；色调；样子 | |
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19
scarlet
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| n.深红色，绯红色，红衣；adj.绯红色的 | |
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cravat
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| n.领巾，领结；v.使穿有领结的服装，使结领结 | |
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21
prominence
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| n.突出；显著；杰出；重要 | |
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22
graceful
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| adj.优美的，优雅的；得体的 | |
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23
hoarsely
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| adv.嘶哑地 | |
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pettishly
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25
maiden
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| n.少女，处女；adj.未婚的，纯洁的，无经验的 | |
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determined
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| adj.坚定的；有决心的 | |
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persevered
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| v.坚忍，坚持( persevere的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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28
spoke
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| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
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29
gravel
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| n.砂跞；砂砾层；结石 | |
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30
drawn
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| v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的 | |
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rattle
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| v.飞奔，碰响；激怒；n.碰撞声；拨浪鼓 | |
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32
dread
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| vt.担忧，忧虑；惧怕，不敢；n.担忧，畏惧 | |
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33
phantom
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| n.幻影，虚位，幽灵；adj.错觉的，幻影的，幽灵的 | |
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34
abreast
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| adv.并排地；跟上(时代)的步伐，与…并进地 | |
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35
scattering
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| n.[物]散射；散乱，分散；在媒介质中的散播adj.散乱的；分散在不同范围的；广泛扩散的；（选票）数量分散的v.散射(scatter的ing形式)；散布；驱散 | |
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36
fume
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| n.(usu pl.)(浓烈或难闻的)烟，气，汽 | |
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37
profuse
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| adj.很多的，大量的，极其丰富的 | |
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38
perspiration
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| n.汗水；出汗 | |
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39
anticipation
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| n.预期，预料，期望 | |
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40
promising
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| adj.有希望的，有前途的 | |
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41
applied
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| adj.应用的；v.应用，适用 | |
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42
grooms
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| n.新郎( groom的名词复数 )；马夫v.照料或梳洗（马等）( groom的第三人称单数 )；使做好准备；训练；（给动物）擦洗 | |
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43
batch
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| n.一批(组，群)；一批生产量 | |
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44
gracefully
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| ad.大大方方地；优美地 | |
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45
nave
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| n.教堂的中部；本堂 | |
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46
ledgers
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| n.分类账( ledger的名词复数 ) | |
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47
rustle
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| v.沙沙作响；偷盗(牛、马等)；n.沙沙声声 | |
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48
subsides
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| v.（土地）下陷（因在地下采矿）( subside的第三人称单数 )；减弱；下降至较低或正常水平；一下子坐在椅子等上 | |
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