'When will you tell me then?' cried Mary with a disappointed expression.
'After Evangeline has gone away,' said Sister Agatha.
'But when is she going?' asked Mary.
'Why, didn't you know she is to be married the day after to-morrow?'
said Sister Agatha.
Mary did not know it was to be quite so soon as that, and it made her
rather miserable to think that Evangeline would be going away almost
directly. But when Sister Agatha promised to take her to see the wedding
she looked more cheerful, for she liked to be taken to see things.
The day after to-morrow soon came, and long before the usual time for
breakfast, Sister Agatha drew up the blind to look at the weather. She
seemed very pleased to see how fine and sunny the morning was and she
put on Mary's lightest dress--the pale-blue one.
'Won't she come to see us before she starts?' asked Mary, when Sister
Agatha was ready.
'The idea of such a thing!' was the answer; 'you must wait until she
goes to the church.'
It seemed to Mary that she had to wait a long time, but when once she
had taken her seat in a pew, there was plenty to look at. The prince
stood at one end of the church, and Mary noticed how often he looked at
his watch. At the other end by the door were six little girls dressed
all alike in primrose colour, and Mary could not help wishing she was
one of them! The church became full, and everybody seemed to be very
smartly dressed, and nearly all the ladies carried large bunches of
flowers.
Presently the organ began to play, and then Evangeline walked along the
middle of the church holding an old gentleman's arm. She did not see
Mary or anybody else because she kept her eyes on the ground; but she
looked beautiful in her white dress, and she also carried a bunch of
flowers--the largest bunch Mary had ever seen. Mary would have clapped
her hands if Sister Agatha had not prevented her, but Sister Agatha
could not prevent her from asking--
'What are you crying for?'
'S--s--sh,' said Sister Agatha.
'Don't you want her to be married?' whispered Mary.
'Yes, of course I do,' was the answer.
'Then why are you crying?' asked Mary.
By this time Evangeline was standing at the prince's side, and a
clergyman was speaking, though Mary could not hear what he said. After a
long time the organ began to play again very loudly, and suddenly Mary
noticed that Evangeline had disappeared.
'Where has she gone to?' she asked.
'She will be back again directly,' answered Sister Agatha, and soon
afterwards Mary saw the prince, with Evangeline holding his arm, going
towards the door again, while some tiny children threw flowers on the
floor for them to walk upon.
Sister Agatha was almost the last to leave the church, and when Mary
reached the house again she saw a great many carriages before it. But
she was taken upstairs as usual, and after dining alone with Sister
Agatha she wanted to know what would happen next.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account