She heard their laughter as they scampered7 in and out of the attic8 to-day without paying much attention to it. She felt stupid and heavy, and the excitement she had undergone on the previous evening had in its recoil9 reduced her to a state of almost inertia10.
The slow hours dragged themselves along, and Bet's wedding-day, the day when parson could make her and Will one—when, the license12 being there, and the necessary formalities gone through, they might really stand up in God's house and have the sacred knot tied between them forever—had arrived.
It was a dull, foggy morning, with a drizzling13 mist. No matter; it was their wedding-day, thought Will, and no one could be more cheerful than he as he donned his becoming sailor suit and brushed his curly hair, and made himself look as spruce and neat as any jack-tar in the land. Rain and mist were nothing to this son of the briny14 ocean, the sunshine was in his heart, and he could scarcely believe in the wonderful good fortune which was to give him the brightest, the dearest, the handsomest girl in the town.
"Wish me luck, Mrs. Jobling," he said, as he rushed downstairs and encountered his sour-faced landlady15 in the tiny entrance hall—"I'm to be wed1 this morning to Bet Granger, the finest and the best lass in Liverpool. You needn't keep the bedroom for me, Mrs. Jobling; for Bet and me, we are going to Birkenhead for our honeymoon16, and on Monday I'm off on another cruise. By the way"—here Will suddenly remembered the pretty sealskin purse; he thrust his hand into his trousers pocket—"is this yourn?" he said, holding the dainty treasure out for his landlady to see.
"No, no," she said, backing a step or two; "I'd have no call to a pretty thing like that—why, it is fine! Looks as if it belonged to a lady. However did you come by it, Will?"
"That's more than I can tell you, ma'am. It lay on the floor in my room two nights back, and I picked it up. Well, if it ain't yourn, and I can't find no owner, it'ull do as a wedding-present for Bet." He slipped the purse again into his pocket and made off.
Hester Wright had gone early to Paradise Row to fetch Bet, for she was to be her sole bridesmaid—in fact, the only friend who was to see her give herself to Will. Will had no best man. But what of that? His heart did feel light this morning, and the gay notes which he sang as he hurried along the streets had an undertone of thanksgiving running through them. He was glad the day had really arrived, and thought to himself how relieved his poor girl would be, and how he could laugh at the unreasonable17 fear which she had shown two nights ago. He had certainly never guessed that Bet was nervous; but she had shown the most unreasonable, the queerest terror when last they had met. Well, it was all right now, and he could prove to her how vain were her alarms.
The doors of the church were not yet opened when the little wedding party of three met. Bet's face was still pale, and her eyes had a tired, almost hunted expression. She came close to Will and took his hand, utterly18 regardless of the significant looks of the passers-by. The words and glances of the multitude were nothing to her at that moment. She was holding her true love's hand; and the minutes were flying, flying, and the danger that she dreaded20 must be even now on their heels.
"What ail's you, Bet?" whispered Will, tenderly. "I'm here, and the hour ha' come. In a minute or two now nought21 can sever22 us."
Bet did not speak. She clasped both her hands over Will's, and looked anxiously over her shoulder to right and left.
"Don't worry her," whispered Hester Wright. "She has a dread19 on her, and there's no argufying it away. After you are wed it will pass. Don't worry her with questions."
Will sighed, and a cold little cloud seemed to come between him and the sun of happiness in which he had been basking23 all the morning.
Just then there was a bustle24 and a little commotion25. It was only the verger unlocking the church doors. A small crowd of people who scent26 out even the humblest wedding had already collected-mostly ragged11 people, shoeless and stockingless boys and girls, women who sold watercress, one or two loafers from the wharves27. Will, Bet and Hester were just about to go into the church, when into the midst of this motley group a man neatly28 dressed in plain clothes stepped briskly. He came straight up to Scarlett.
"Is your name William Scarlett?" he said, "and do you live at Mrs. Jobling's, No. 10 Quay30 Street?"
"Yes," said Will, in surprise. "I'm a sailor, and my name's Will Scarlet29. I have a bedroom at Mrs. Jobling's."
"Yes, just so," replied the man. "Oh, come now, young woman—I've a word to say to this party by himself. Just you let go your hand, young woman, if you please."
Bet seemed neither to hear nor to heed31. Her disengaged arm was now flung over Will's shoulder, and the hand which clasped his felt, in its intense grip, as strong and firm as iron.
"I knew that it 'ud come," she whispered between her set lips.
Will looked down at her, and something in her terrible agitation32 infected him strangely. He felt hot and annoyed and angry-almost angry with Bet, for losing her presence of mind, very angry with the stranger for intercepting33 him thus with ridiculous, senseless questions.
"Parson's inside," he said, jerking his thumb in the direction of the church; "and her and me is waiting to be wed. Ef you have anything to say to me, mate, I'll hear it later on, after we is wed.—All the same I don't know you, nor what your business can be," he added.
"My business is plain enough, young man. You're wanted, and you must come with me. I've a warrant here to arrest you on the charge of stealing two five-pound notes—same being passed through the Bank of England yesterday, with your name and address on the back. You'd better come off quietly, for there's no help for it, and the less you say the better, for whatever you does say I warn you will be used against you. Come, young woman,—hands off! You'd better let parson know that his services won't be wanting today."
Bet's head was now lying on Will's breast; her wide-open eyes were fixed34 on his face. He stooped down and kissed her. He was very white himself, and felt rather dazed, but his anger was gone.
"I can't make it out, sweetheart," he whispered. "It's an ugly mistake, and to happen on our wedding morn. All the same it's nothing in life but a mistake, my dear; and I don't see, if there's a scrap35 of justice in England, how I can but be back with you by nightfall, darling. You and Hester had better search up Dent36, for he's the man to clear me, and I heerd you say as he hadn't sailed in the 'Good Queen Anne.' Now I must go with this feller; but I'll come back to you and Hester soon, for in course I can tell how I got the notes. Here I am—at your service, sir."
Will himself placed Bet's hand in Hester's. She had not said a word nor sought to detain him; but when he turned the corner something seemed all of a sudden to stop in her heart; and the strong girl fainted in Hester's arms.
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1
wed
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| v.娶，嫁，与…结婚 | |
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2
alluding
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| 提及，暗指( allude的现在分词 ) | |
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3
devoted
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| adj.忠诚的，忠实的，热心的，献身于...的 | |
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proceeding
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| n.行动，进行，(pl.)会议录，学报 | |
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delightful
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| adj.令人高兴的，使人快乐的 | |
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6
pinnacles
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| 顶峰( pinnacle的名词复数 )； 顶点； 尖顶； 小尖塔 | |
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7
scampered
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| v.蹦蹦跳跳地跑，惊惶奔跑( scamper的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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8
attic
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| n.顶楼，屋顶室 | |
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9
recoil
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| vi.退却，退缩，畏缩 | |
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10
inertia
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| adj.惰性，惯性，懒惰，迟钝 | |
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11
ragged
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| adj.衣衫褴褛的，粗糙的，刺耳的 | |
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12
license
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| n.执照，许可证，特许；v.许可，特许 | |
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13
drizzling
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| 下蒙蒙细雨，下毛毛雨( drizzle的现在分词 ) | |
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14
briny
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| adj.盐水的；很咸的；n.海洋 | |
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15
landlady
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| n.女房东，女地主 | |
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16
honeymoon
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| n.蜜月（假期）；vi.度蜜月 | |
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17
unreasonable
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| adj.不讲道理的，不合情理的，过度的 | |
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18
utterly
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| adv.完全地，绝对地 | |
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19
dread
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| vt.担忧，忧虑；惧怕，不敢；n.担忧，畏惧 | |
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20
dreaded
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| adj.令人畏惧的；害怕的v.害怕，恐惧，担心( dread的过去式和过去分词) | |
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21
nought
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| n.／adj.无，零 | |
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22
sever
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| v.切开，割开；断绝，中断 | |
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23
basking
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| v.晒太阳，取暖( bask的现在分词 )；对…感到乐趣；因他人的功绩而出名；仰仗…的余泽 | |
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24
bustle
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| v.喧扰地忙乱，匆忙，奔忙；n.忙碌；喧闹 | |
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25
commotion
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| n.骚动，动乱 | |
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26
scent
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| n.气味，香味，香水，线索，嗅觉；v.嗅，发觉 | |
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27
wharves
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| n.码头，停泊处( wharf的名词复数 ) | |
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28
neatly
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| adv.整洁地，干净地，灵巧地，熟练地 | |
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29
scarlet
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| n.深红色，绯红色，红衣；adj.绯红色的 | |
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30
quay
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| n.码头，靠岸处 | |
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31
heed
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| v.注意，留意；n.注意，留心 | |
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32
agitation
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| n.搅动；搅拌；鼓动，煽动 | |
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33
intercepting
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| 截取（技术），截接 | |
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34
fixed
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| adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的 | |
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35
scrap
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| n.碎片；废料；v.废弃，报废 | |
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36
dent
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| n.凹痕，凹坑；初步进展 | |
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