"Why, what a lot of names you must have, my dear!" exclaimed the
countess. "When are you going to get to the ones we all know?"
"Ruth," continued the bride without answering.
Breeding is not always proof against strong emotion. The countess
snatched the bride's veil from her face, and Mary Susannah Ruth Sewell
stood before her, flushed and trembling, but looking none the less pretty
because of that. At this point the crowd came in useful.
"I am sure your ladyship does not wish a scene," said Mary, speaking low.
"The thing is done."
"The thing can be undone, and will be," retorted the countess in the same
tone. "You, you--"
"My wife, don't forget that, mother," said Lord C--- coming between them,
and slipping Mary's hand on to his arm. "We are both sorry to have had
to go about the thing in this roundabout way, but we wanted to avoid a
fuss. I think we had better be getting away. I'm afraid Mr. Hodskiss is
going to be noisy."
* * * * *
The doctor poured himself out a glass of claret, and drank it off. His
throat must have been dry.
"And what became of Clementina?" I asked. "Did the naval lieutenant,
while the others were at church, dash up in a post-chaise and carry her
off?"
"That's what ought to have happened, for the whole thing to be in
keeping," agreed the doctor. "I believe as a matter of fact she did
marry him eventually, but not till some years later, after the contractor
had died."
"And did Mr. Hodskiss make a noise in the vestry?" I persisted. The
doctor never will finish a story.
"I can't say for certain," answered my host, "I only saw the gentleman
once. That was at a shareholders' meeting. I should incline to the
opinion that he did."
"I suppose the bride and bridegroom slipped out as quietly as possible
and drove straight off," I suggested.
"That would have been the sensible thing for them to do," agreed the
doctor.
"But how did she manage about her travelling frock?" I continued. "She
could hardly have gone back to her Aunt Jane's and changed her things."
The doctor has no mind for minutiae.
"I cannot tell you about all that," he replied. "I think I mentioned
that Mary was a practical girl. Possibly she had thought of these
details."
"And did the countess take the matter quietly?" I asked.
I like a tidy story, where everybody is put into his or her proper place
at the end. Your modern romance leaves half his characters lying about
just anyhow.
"That also I cannot tell you for certain," answered the doctor, "but I
give her credit for so much sense. Lord C--- was of age, and with Mary
at his elbow, quite knew his own mind. I believe they travelled for two
or three years. The first time I myself set eyes on the countess (_nee_
Mary Sewell) was just after the late earl's death. I thought she looked
a countess, every inch of her, but then I had not heard the story. I
mistook the dowager for the housekeeper."