A SUDDEN WEDDING.
It was midnight when the Richmond train reached Wendover, and Alden
Lytton went to the Reindeer for the night.
Early in the morning he arose and breakfasted, and ordered a horse to
take him to Blue Cliff Hall.
Just as he was getting into the saddle Jerome, the colored footman from
the Hall, rode up holding two papers in his left hand, and staring at
them with perplexity.
"Halloo, Jerome, how do you do?" called out Mr. Lytton, cheerfully.
The boy looked up, and his surprise and perplexity instantly mounted to
consternation and amazement.
"Well, dis yer's witchcraf', and nuffin else!" he exclaimed.
"What is witchcraft, you goose?" laughed Alden.
"Look yer, massa," said Jerome, riding up to his side and putting the
two papers in his hand, "you jes look at dem dere!"
Alden took the papers and looked as required.
Both papers were telegrams. One was his own telegram to Emma Cavendish,
saying:
"I shall be down to see you by the next train."
The other was a telegram from Emma Cavendish to himself, saying:
"Come down at once."
"Well, what of all this? Here is a message and its answer. What is there
in this like witchcraft?"
"Why, massa, 'cause de answer came afore de message went, and you
yerself come quick as enny. Dere's de witchcraf'."
"What do you mean?"
"I knowed as de telegraf was fast, and likewise de steam cars, but I
didn't know as dey was bof so fast as to answer a message afore it was
axed, and fetch a gemman afore he was sent for. But here's de answer,
and here's you."
"This is all Hebrew to me."
"Which it is likewise a conundrum to me," retorted Jerome.
"Tell me what you have been doing, and perhaps I shall understand you,"
laughed Alden Lytton.
"Well, massa, this mornin' by daybreak Miss Emmer sent for me, and gave
me this," he said, pointing to the young lady's telegram. "And, says
she:
"'Jerome, saddle the fastest horse in de stable and ride as fast as you
can to Wendover and send this message off to Mr. Lytton. Lose no time,
for we want him to come down here as soon as possible.'
"Well, Massa Alden, I didn't lose no time, sar, nor likewise let de
grass grow underneaf of my feet. I reckon I was in de saddle and off in
about ten minutes. But fast as I was, bress you, sar, de telegraf was
faster! When I got to de office and hand de message in to de gemman dere
I says:
"'Send it off quick, 'cause Miss Emmer wants Massa Alden to come down
right away.'
"'All right,' he says. 'De young gemman will be down by de next train.
And here's yer answer to yer message.'
"And sure nuff, Massa Alden, he hands me this yer," said Jerome,
pointing to Alden's own telegram. "And here's you too! Now, what anybody
think ob dat if it a'n't witchcraf'?"
"It is a coincidence, my good fellow. I was coming down, and I
telegraphed Miss Cavendish to that effect. When you brought her message
to the office you received mine, which must have been delayed. It is a
coincidence."
"Well I s'pose a coimperence is a fine book-larnin' name for
witchcraf'; but it's all the same thing after all," persisted Jerome.
"I hope they are all well at Blue Cliffs," said Mr. Lytton, who felt
some little uneasiness connected with Emma's telegram.
"Yes, sar, dey's all purty well, 'cept 'tis de ole madam. She a'n't been
that hearty as she ought to 'a' been."
"I hope she is not seriously ill."
"No, sar; dough I did leave a message long o' Doctor Willet to come out
dere dis morning; but you know de ole madam do frequent send for de
doctor."
"Come, Jerome, we must get on to the Hall," said Mr. Lytton, as he rode
out of the inn yard and turned into the road leading to Blue Cliffs,
followed by the servant.
Emma Cavendish, who was on the lookout for Jerome, was surprised and
delighted to see her lover ride up first, attended by her messenger.
"It's witchcraf', Miss Emmer!" exclaimed Jerome, as he got out of his
saddle to take the young gentleman's horse.
"It is a coincidence," laughed Alden, as he ran up the steps to greet
his beloved.
"Well, dat's de Latin for witchcraf', Miss Emmer; but it's all de same
t'ing in English," persisted Jerome, as he led away the horses.
"Jerome tells me that grandma is not well. I am sorry to hear it," said
Alden, as he walked with Emma into the house.
"Grandma is nearly ninety years old, and she can not ever be well in
this world; but she will soon be very well indeed, for she is very near
her eternal youth and health," said Emma, with tender, cheerful
earnestness.
Alden bowed in silence as they entered the drawing-room together.
"Grandma told me to telegraph for you to come down at once, Alden. She
thinks that she can not be here many days, and perhaps not many hours.
And she wishes to see you at once. Will you go to her now, dear, or
would you rather go to your room first?"
"I will go to see madam first. I have but ridden from the Reindeer this
morning, and so I am neither fatigued nor dusted. I telegraphed you
yesterday that I was coming down to see you to-day, and my telegram
should have reached you yesterday; but it seems to have been delayed. I
left the city by the noon train and reached the village at midnight. So
I happened to meet Jerome just after he had taken my delayed telegram
from the agent, which he supposed to be a magical answer to your
message."
"The whole arrangements of telegraph wires, steam engines, gas-lights
and lucifer matches are magical to him," said Emma, smiling. "And now
stay here a moment, dear, and wait until I go and let grandma know that
you have come," she added, as she went out of the room.
Emma Cavendish found the old lady sitting up in her easy-chair by the
sunny window, looking very white and fragile and serene.
"Alden has come, grandma, dear. When Jerome went to send the telegram
off for him he found Mr. Lytton in Wendover. Mr. Lytton had just arrived
from Richmond and was about to start for Blue Cliffs. It was a
coincidence," said Emma, sitting down by the old lady.
"It was a providence, my dear child--a providence which has saved two
days in time that is very short. And so he is here?" said the old lady,
caressing the golden hair of the girl.
"Yes, dear grandma, he is here and waiting to come to you the moment you
are ready to receive him."
"Tell him to come now. And do you come with him."
Emma left the room, and soon returned with Alden Lytton.
"Welcome, my son! Come here and embrace me," said the old lady, holding
out her arms.
Alden went and folded the faded form to his bosom and pressed a kiss
upon the venerable brow, as the tears sprang to his eyes; for he saw
that she was dying.
"Alden, I am going home. I must go. I want to go. I have been here so
long. I am very tired. I have had enough of this. I want to go home to
my Father. I want to see my Savior face to face. I want to meet my
husband and my children, who have been waiting for me so long on the
other side. What are you crying for, Emma?"
"Because I can not help it, grandma. I know I ought not to cry, when you
will soon be so happy," sobbed the poor child.
"And when I am going to make you and your worthy young lover so happy,
my love. Come, wipe your eyes and smile! I shall soon be very happy, and
I want to make you and Alden as happy as I can before I go. Now sit
down, both of you, and listen to me."
Alden and Emma sat down, one on each side of her.
She was a little tired with the words she had already spoken, and she
put a small vial of ammonia to her nose and smelled it before she went
on.
"Now," she said, as she put aside the vial and gave a hand to each of
the young people, "I want you to attend to me and do exactly as I bid
you."
"We will indeed," answered Alden and Emma, in a breath.
"I wish you would be married here in my presence tomorrow morning."
Alden Lytton gave her hand a grateful squeeze.
"You should be married to-day, if there were time to make the necessary
arrangements."
"Are there any really necessary arrangements that can not be made
to-day?" Alden inquired, eagerly.
"Yes, my son. A messenger must take a letter to Lytton Lodge to explain
the circumstances, and to ask your sister Laura and your aunt and uncle
Lytton to come immediately, to be present at your marriage with my
granddaughter. If the messenger to Lytton Lodge should start at noon
to-day, as he must, he will hardly reach the Lodge before night. Nor
will your relatives be able to reach here before noon tomorrow. So you
see the necessity of the short delay."
"Yes, certainly," answered Alden.
"Another messenger must take a similar letter to Beresford Manors, to
summon my son and my youngest granddaughter, and your worthy guardian,
Mr. Brent, who is on a long visit there. And it will also take about
twenty-four hours to bring them here."
"Yes, of course," admitted Alden.
"I say nothing of the time it will take to get a license and to fetch
Mr. Lyle, who must perform the ceremony, because that can be done in a
few hours."
"If it were possible, I would like to have Mary Grey summoned by
telegraph to attend the wedding," said Emma.
"Ah, yes, certainly she ought to be here; but there is scarcely a
chance, the time is so short," said Mrs. Cavendish, as she again
resorted to the vial of ammonia.
"Mrs. Grey is in very bad health. She would not come," explained Alden.
"Go, now, my dear children. I am very tired, and I must sleep a while,"
sighed the old lady.
And Emma and Alden kissed her and left the room.
In the passage outside they met Mrs. Fanning, who seemed to be waiting
for them.
She cordially welcomed Mr. Lytton, of whose arrival she had heard from
the servants. And then she inquired of Emma how Mrs. Cavendish was
getting on.
"She grows weaker in the body and stronger in the spirit with every
successive hour, I think," replied Miss Cavendish.
"Well, my dear, I only wished to ask you that, and to tell you that I
have had lunch laid in the little breakfast room, if Mr. Lytton would
like any," said Mrs. Fanning, who now took equal share in all Emma's
housekeeping cares.
But Alden, when appealed to, declined the lunch and hinted that they had
better see to sending off the messengers to Beresford Manors and Lytton
Lodge immediately.
And that same noon the letters were dispatched.
Alden Lytton had come down to Blue Cliffs for the purpose of confiding
to Emma Cavendish the story of his first boyish passion for Mary Grey,
and of the violent manner in which it was cured forever. But finding all
the circumstances so opposite to what he expected to find them, he
changed his purpose. He could not bring himself to add another item to
the disturbing influences then surrounding Emma.
That afternoon, also, Dr. Willet came to Blue Cliffs, and Emma had to
accompany him to the bedside of her grandmother, and afterward to hold
quite a long conversation with him in the library.
A few minutes after the doctor left the house, Mr. Lyle, who had heard
of the illness of Mrs. Cavendish, arrived to inquire after her
condition.
Emma had to receive the minister and accompany him to her grandmother's
chamber, and to stay there and join in the prayers that were offered for
the sick woman.
Mr. Lyle remained with the family all the afternoon; and having received
from Mr. Lytton a notice of the ceremony he was desired to perform the
next day, he promised to be at Blue Cliff Hall again punctually at noon,
and then took leave.
Very early the next morning Alden Lytton mounted the swiftest horse in
the Cavendish stables and rode to Wendover to procure his marriage
license.
He did not stay long in the village, you may be sure; but, leaving his
horse to rest and drink at the Reindeer trough, he hurried to the
town-hall and took out his license, returned to the inn, remounted his
horse, and rode immediately back to Blue Cliff Hall.
As he rode up the avenue toward the front of the house he saw that there
had already been some arrival. A large lumbering old family carriage
was being driven, empty, around toward the stables.
Alden quickened his horse's pace and rode up to the door, dismounted,
threw his reins to Peter, the young groom, who was waiting to take the
horse, and then ran up the steps into the house.
He almost immediately found himself in the arms of his sister Laura, who
had run out to receive him.
"Oh, Alden, my darling, I am so delighted! I wish you so much joy!" she
exclaimed.
"Only the occasion that has hastened my happiness is a sad one to
others, Laura, my dear," answered the young man, gravely.
"I don't think so at all. I have seen Mrs. Cavendish. I never saw a
happier woman. She is so happy that she wishes to make everybody else as
happy as she is herself," said Laura.
As she spoke John Lytton came lumbering into the hall.
"Alden, boy, how do? I never was so astonished in my life! But under the
circumstances I hope that it is all right to hurry up things in this
a-way. Your Aunt Kitty couldn't come; nyther could your grandmother nor
the gals. Fact is, they hadn't the gownds to appear in. But they wish
you joy; and so do I. For, though I do think you might a-looked higher,
because the Lyttonses is a much older family than the Caverndishers,
and, in fact, were lords of the manor when the Caverndishers were
hewers--"
"Uncle John," broke in Alden, with a laugh, "pray let that subject drop
for the present! And follow Jerome, who is waiting to show you a room
where you can brush your coat and smooth your hair, and--"
"Make myself tidy for the wedding? All right, my boy! March on, Jerome!"
said John Lytton, good-humoredly, as he followed his guide upstairs.
As he disappeared another carriage rolled up to the front door, and Dr.
Beresford Jones, Electra and Mr. Joseph Brent--Victor Hartman--alighted
from it and entered the house.
Alden and Laura Lytton stepped forward to receive them.
Electra seized and kissed Laura in a hurry, while the gentlemen were
shaking hands, and then she flew to Alden and congratulated him with
much effusion.
"Now, Laura, take me where I can change my dress quickly. I brought a
white India muslin with me to wear, for I am to be bride-maid, of
course! So are you, I suppose. But you haven't changed your dress yet.
Where is Emma? What is she going to be married in?"
"Be quiet, you little Bohemian!" said Laura, cutting short Electra's
torrent of words. "Don't you feel that this is no ordinary wedding? The
occasion, if not a sorrowful one, is at least very serious. Come, I will
take you with me to my own room. We are to lodge together in the
south-west room, as usual."
"But are you to be a bride-maid?" persisted the "little Bohemian."
"Yes; and to wear my white tarletan dress and white rose wreath,"
answered Laura, as they went off together.
"Where's Emma, and what's she doing? as I asked you some time ago."
"She is in her chamber, dressing for the ceremony."
"She hasn't got her wedding-dress made yet; that I know. What's she
going to be married in?"
"She will wear her white satin trained dress, with white lace overdress,
which she had made for the last May ball, you remember."
"Oh, yes! I didn't think of that."
"And she will wear that rich, priceless cardinal point-lace veil that
was her mother's. And she will wear her grandmother's rare oriental
pearls. There, you little gipsy! Are you answered?"
"Yes. And she will be magnificent and splendid, even if she is gotten up
in a hurry," said Electra, as she followed her companion into their
room.
Alden Lytton, under the unusual circumstances attending the sudden
wedding, and in the surprise of his own unexpected happiness, had not
once thought of the necessity of making a proper toilet for the
occasion. But when he heard the girls, who never, under any
circumstances, forget such a matter, talking of their dress, he glanced
down at his own suit, and then hurried off as fast as he could to his
room to improve his appearance.
While the younger members of the family party were at their toilets, Dr.
Beresford Jones was in the "Throne Room," closeted with his mother.
Madam Cavendish, weak as she was, had insisted upon being arrayed
grandly, to do honor to the wedding of the only daughter of the house.
She wore a rich crimson brocade dressing-gown, a costly camel's-hair
shawl, and a fine point-lace cap. She now reclined very wearily in her
easy-chair, and held in her hand the vial of ammonia, which she applied
to her nose from time to time.
After a little while she said to her son:
"Go and inquire if they are nearly ready, Beresford. I fear--I fear my
strength will scarcely hold out," she faltered, faintly.
Dr. Jones opened the door to go upon this errand, and immediately
perceived that it was unnecessary.
John Lytton and Mr. Lyle were coming up the stairs, and the little
bridal procession was forming in the hall below.
Mr. Lyle came in and spoke to Dr. Jones.
"With Mrs. Cavendish's permission, even now, at the last moment, we must
make some slight changes in the programme," he said.
"Well?" inquired Dr. Jones, pleasantly.
"I was to have performed the ceremony and you were to have given the
bride away?"
"Yes."
"Well, we must change that. Mr. Lytton has but one groomsman. I must act
in that capacity also. You will please perform the ceremony, and Mr.
John Lytton here will have the honor of giving the bride away."
John Lytton bowed.
"I am quite willing. I will speak to Mrs. Cavendish," said Dr. Jones,
who went to his mother's chair and explained the situation to her.
"Certainly; be it as you will," she said.
Mr. Lyle then returned to the foot of the stairs and placed himself
beside Laura Lytton, who was acting as first bride-maid.
John Lytton and Dr. Jones remained in the room.
The little bridal procession soon entered and ranged themselves in order
before the minister.
Emma, as Electra had said, looked beautiful as a woman and elegant as a
bride. Her bride-maids also were very fair to see.
The ceremony was commenced with great impressiveness.
Old Mrs. Cavendish listened with the deepest attention, leaning back in
her easy-chair and sniffing at her bottle of ammonia.
John Lytton gave away the bride as if he were making a magnificent
present at his own expense.
Emma Cavendish not only wore her mother's bridal veil, but was married
with her mother's wedding-ring.
Dr. Beresford Jones pronounced the benediction.
And Alden Lytton and Emma Cavendish were made one in law, as they had
long been in mind and heart.