India -- History -- Sepoy Rebellion, 1857-1858 -- Fiction
The cavalcade reached Westminister Abbey just as the Bishop of Exeter,
attended by two other clergymen, drove up. Quite a number of
aristocratic equipages, with their occupants, had already arrived, and
just as the bride was descending from her carriage, a handsome
cabriolete, driven by the Earl of Castlemere; attended by his groomsman,
Draycott, dashed up at full speed. Quite a large assemblage had gathered
about the cloisters and aisles of the venerable structure, where it had
pleased Miss Effingham to have the marriage solemnized, all anxious to
get a glimpse of the wedding party, as they moved up to the chancel and
took the positions assigned them in front and to the right and left of
the altar, and a fairer scene than the one now presented to their view,
had, by many been rarely, if ever, witnessed. The warm, ruddy light of a
summer's sun, subdued by the gorgeously colored panes of the magnificent
oriel windows above the altar, fell softly, yet brightly, on the richly
dressed groups that composed the bridal party.
Attended by a bevy of young maidens, Edith, in the pride of her womanly
beauty, now fully matured and developed, advanced with a firm step and
knelt before the altar, her symmetrical and perfectly faultless figure
appearing to advantage in a rich white corded silk, with its superb
train of the same material, the whole trimmed with fine old point lace
of the most costly description; nor did the exquisitely worked veil she
wore conceal the tresses of golden brown hair that fell in luxuriant
ringlets on her alabaster shoulders. The magnificent diamonds of the
Begum encircled her fail brow, neck and arms, while pendants of the same
precious stones hung from her small, shell-like ears, their brilliant
prismatic hues shooting forth and glittering with lustrous and dazzling
brilliancy at each movement of the wearer; but far brighter than all was
the glorious rays of the light of love and joy that danced and
scintilated in the deep blue eyes of the bride as she stood forth and
plighted her troth to him she so fondly and devotedly loved, and the
face of the handsome Earl beamed with unclouded happiness as he placed
the small golden circle on the finger of his future Countess.
The ceremony was not a long, but an impressive one. The bridal anthem
was beautifully rendered by the choristers, accompanied by the clear,
full, deep tones of the grand old organ. As the clock in the square
tower was striking twelve the whole party left the Abbey, and were
driven to the Earl's mansion in Saint James' Square, where a luxurious
repast was prepared for them, to which ample justice was done. At two,
the Earl and Countess stepped into their traveling carriage and were
whirled off to Brighton, from which point they were to start on their
bridal tour through Continental Europe.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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