The weddin’ dress had come home all finished, even to the pretty lace in the neck and sleeves. It wuz white mull, and I knew Genieve would look like a picture in it. [Illustration: “EVERYTHING WUZ READY.”] CHAPTER XVII. AT last the time come, as every time will come if you wait long enough for it—the time had come when the colony wuz to embark for their new home. Victor and Genieve wuz to be married the mornin’ they started, Cousin John Richard a performin’ the ceremony in the parlor at Belle Fanchon, and Father Gasperin a layin’ out to make a good prayer on the occasion. And the evenin’ before everything wuz ready. In Genieve’s room, acrost the white bed lay the simple grey travellin’ dress and wrap she wuz a goin’ to wear on her journey, with a little grey velvet turban by the side of it, and the heavy travellin’ cloak she would most probable need on her long sea voyage. The little grey gloves and the handkerchief and the well-filled travellin’ bag lay all ready to take up at a minute’s notice, for we knew there wouldn’t be any too much time in the mornin’. The pretty plain white dress she wuz a goin’ to wear to enter her new life in, and which would be a good dress for years, and handy where she wuz a goin’, lay acrost two chairs, ready for her to put on the first thing in the mornin’. Yes, everything wuz ready in Genieve’s room. And in the kitchen, though I am fur, fur from bein’ the one to speak on’t (as I had done the most of the cookin’), wuz as good vittles as I ever see in my hull life. Aunt Mela done well and done considerable; but I wanted Victor and Genieve and Cousin John Richard to have some of my own particular Jonesville cookin’, and everything had turned out jest right. Every cake had riz up in good form, ready for the icing; not one lop-sided or heavy cake wuz there in the hull collection. And the roast fowls wuz jest the right brown, not a speck of scorch on one of ’em. The jellys wuz firm and clear as so many moulds of rose and amber ice. And the posys had all been picked, and Maggie had arranged ’em in great crystal bowls and vases of sweetness and beauty. The table wuz all sot. We thought we would arrange it the night before, when we had plenty of time, so it would suit us. And we had got everything ready, and though I dare presume to say I ortn’t to say it, it looked good enough to eat, vittles, table-cloth, posys, and all. (Though it is fur from me to propose eatin’ stun china and table-cloths; but I use this simely to let you know the exceedin’ loveliness of the spectacle.) Genieve went in to see it after it wuz all ready. We wouldn’t let her do much, knowin’ what a journey wuz ahead on her.