"Here's Dicky Glaire!" now was shouted, and plenty of cheers arose; but the men talked critically about his personal appearance as he got out of the carriage and went up the path with a supercilious smile upon his face. "He's another pasty-faced un," said one of the chief speakers. "Dicky isn't half the man his father weer." "Hearken to owd Mother Cakebread," said one of the men; "she says she'd sooner marry tawn's poomp." "Here's owd Satan comin' to chutch," cried a voice, as Primgeon, the lawyer, a tall, smooth-faced, sallow man, got out of the next carriage, but they cheered him well, and the guests in the next two carriages, when the cry arose-- "Here's the Missus!" "Gi'e the owd gell a good un, lads. Hats off." "Three cheers for the doctor." "Gie's a ride i' the chay, doctor." "Hooray." The cheers were hearty enough, as Purley handed out Mrs Glaire and the bride, and began to move slowly up the path, for the excitement was such that the crowd pressed forward upon them in the midst of the deafening cries, while a faint flush came upon Eve Pelly's face, as she raised her eyes, and the icy look upon her face passed off, thawed by the sunshine of the warm greetings. "God bless you, Miss Eve--hooray for Miss Eve!" "Hurray!" shouted one of the leaders of the strike. "May all her bairns be gells." "Like their moother," shouted another. "Hooray, lads! Gi'e her another; put your showthers into it." There was a deafening roar from a couple of hundred throats, and then the poor school-mistress's arrangements were overset, for a voice shouted-- "Fling thee flowers now, bairns;" and the bride went up to the church on a floral carpet, and with a shower falling upon her from all around. "What a shame!" cried the school-mistress, as the party disappeared through the porch, and she was carried after them by the crowd which followed. "Niver mind, owd lass, the bairns can pick 'em up, and fling 'em again." Poor flowers, they looked crushed and drooping now, though, as Eve Pelly walked up the damp old aisle, feeling as if it were all some dream, and beginning to tremble now as she approached the altar, where the rest of the party were assembled, from among whom came Richard, who had cast off his supercilious air, and was trying to play his part of bridegroom as became his position. The young fellow was flushed now with the excitement of the scene, and somewhat carried away by the interest displayed by the town on the occasion of his marriage. He hardly heeded his mother's words as she clung to his hand for a moment, and whispered-- "You see, my son: now take your position that your father won for you, of the first man in Dumford."