Africa -- Fiction; Businessmen -- Fiction; Crime -- England -- Fiction; Criminals -- England -- Fiction
And if this was an advertisement to the Castle Lane church, how much
more so was it when the very pompous carriages came rolling up with
their very pompous drivers, all of whom, being married men, had a
depreciatory and wearied expression upon their faces, to show that they
had done it all before and that it was nothing new to them. Out of the
one carriage there jumped a very jaunty gentleman, somewhat past the
middle age and a little inclined to stoutness, but looking very healthy
and rosy nevertheless. Besides him there walked a tall, tawny-bearded
man, who glanced solicitously every now and again at his companion, as
though he were the bottle-holder at a prize-fight and feared that his
man might collapse at a moment's notice. From a second carriage there
emerged an athletic brown-faced young fellow accompanied by a small
wizened gentleman in spotless attire, who was in such a state of
nervousness that he dropped his lavender glove twice on his way up the
aisle. These gentlemen grouped themselves at the end of the church
conversing in low whispers and looking exceedingly uncomfortable, as is
the prerogative of the sterner sex under such circumstances.
Mr. Gilray, who was Tom's best man, was introduced to Herr von Baumser,
and every one was very affable and nervous.
Now there comes a rustling of drapery, and every one turns their heads
as the brides sweep up to the altar. Here Is Mrs. Scully, looking quite
as charming as she did fifteen years ago on the last occasion when she
performed the ceremony. She was dressed in a French grey gown with
bonnet to match, and the neatest little bouquet in the world, for which
the major had ransacked Covent Garden. Behind her came bonny Kate, a
very vision of loveliness in her fairy-like lace and beautiful ivory
satin. Her dark lashes drooped over her violet eyes and a slight flush
tinged her cheeks, but she glided steadily into her place and did her
share in the responses when the earnest little clergyman appeared upon
the scene. There was Dr. Dimsdale too, with the brightest of smiles and
snowiest of waistcoats, giving away the brides in the most open-handed
fashion. His wife too was by his side in tears and purple velvet, and
many other friends and relations, including the two Socialists, who came
at the major's invitation, and beamed on every one out of a side pew.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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