CHAPTER XVIII.
Ever since gaining her father's permission to tell Lucilla the story ofhis love, Captain Keith had been watching for a favourable opportunityto do so, but thus far without avail.
"Now," he thought, as they drove on the homeward way from Roselands toWoodburn, "I must try to get a few moments alone with her this evening."
He did not succeed, however; there were still several guests besideshimself, and Lucilla seemed to be always in request for conversation, ortaking part in some game. And directly after the evening service sheslipped away to her own apartments and was seen no more that night.
In the morning it was equally impossible to catch her alone for even amoment, so busy and excited were all with regard to what was to be thegreat event of the day.
The ladies began their toilets soon after breakfast and were not seenagain until about to enter the carriages which were to carry them to TheOaks; this time Keith had not even the pleasure of being in the samevehicle with Lucilla.
Then, arrived at their destination, the young girls vanished from hissight, going into the dressing room appointed for their use in robingthemselves for the ceremony.
Lucilla and Grace were to be bridesmaids,--Laura Howard, also,--andSydney maid of honour.
Only a few minutes before their arrival Dick had been admitted to theroom where his bride sat arrayed in her wedding attire--the beautifuldress and veil provided by the kindness of her Cousin Elsie.
"Oh, my darling!" he exclaimed in astonishment, "how lovely you are andhow beautifully dressed. This is not the dress you spoke ofwearing,--this rich white satin,--and the veil. Why, Rosie's own werenot handsomer!"
"No, I think not," said Maud, smiling at his pleasure. "They are dearCousin Elsie's own wedding garments, kindly lent to me because I had notime to procure such for myself; and I was willing--yes, very glad toborrow them, because they are so lovely and becoming, and because, youknow, it is said to be good luck to have something old to wear, as wellas something new. I hope my bridegroom approves?"
"He could not do anything else, seeing how lovely his bride looks inthem," Dick replied, putting an arm about her and holding her close withmore than one tender caress. Then, holding her off a little for anotherand closer inspection, "Oh, Maud, darling, how lovely you are!" heexclaimed. "I feel a rich and happy man to think you are all my own, myvery own. Dearest, it shall not be my fault if you do not find yourselfa happy woman in the sweet, new home to which I am about to take you."
"Dick, dear Dick, I do not doubt that I shall be happy," she saidsoftly, lifting to his eyes that were full of happy tears; "if I am not,I am sure it will be no fault of yours."
But footsteps were heard approaching and he took his arm from her waistand stood beside her with her hand in his.
The door opened and the bridesmaids and groomsmen filed in. Then therewere exclamations of surprise and delight.
"Oh, Maud, how lovely! how lovely! When and where did you get thatbeautiful dress and veil? We all thought you were to be married in yourbridesmaid dress that you wore at Rosie's wedding."
"And you like this one better? and the veil that goes with it?" Maudreturned with a joyous blush and smile.
"Oh, yes, yes, certainly; it is far handsomer, and so becoming! But howdid you get it up so quickly?"
"I didn't. It was dear Cousin Elsie's wedding dress, and she has lent itto me to be married in. It was just like her--always so kind andthoughtful of others."
"That is true, indeed!" said Lucilla; "I do think that in all this worldthere is not a kinder person than dear Grandma Elsie."
Just then the little flower girls appeared in the doorway and utteredtheir exclamations of surprise and delight at the beauty of the bride'sattire. Their mothers were just behind them, and Violet seemed as muchsurprised and pleased as the children. She recognized the dress andveil--which she had seen a number of times in the course of her life,and was well content that her mother had seen fit to lend them to Maudfor this important time when she could not provide such luxuries forherself.
"The dress fits you wonderfully well, Maud; and both it and the veil arevery becoming," Violet said. "I am glad mamma had them, and thought ofproducing them for this occasion."
"Yes, it was very, very kind in Cousin Elsie," returned the bride,blushing with pleasure.
"And you are all ready to go down now, are you not?" asked Mrs.Dinsmore. "Everybody is here and waiting for the ceremony to begin. Theappointed hour has come, too, and here is the minister," as the Rev. Mr.Keith appeared in the doorway.
At that the little procession formed at once and passed down the broadstairway, through the flower-bedecked hall, and into the large parlourwhere the guests were gathered.
All went well; the ceremony was short but impressive, thecongratulations were warm and sincere, and the wedding breakfast thatfollowed a grand affair. Soon after it was over the bride changed herwedding dress for a neat and pretty travelling one. Then she and hernew-made husband bade good-bye, entered a carriage, and started for atrain that was to carry them on their homeward way.
Most of the other relatives from a distance left for their homes duringthe afternoon or evening. Captain Keith had announced his intention toleave that night by a later train. He was to start from Woodburn, so hebade adieu to all the friends but that family, then went home with hisfriend, Captain Raymond.
After a late dinner there, he found and seized the opportunity he had solong been waiting for. Lucilla was sitting alone upon the veranda, witha book in her hand, but not reading, for her eyes were not on it. Sheseemed to be thinking intently of something else. But when Captain Keithtook a seat by her side she welcomed him with a pleasant smile.
"So you leave us to-night," she said. "I hope you have enjoyed yourvisit well enough to feel a trifle sorry to go."
"I have enjoyed my visit greatly," he said in reply, "and I should liketo prolong it; but it will not do to play all the time. It seems lonely,too, to have to go away taking no one with me. To go as Cousin Dick didthis afternoon, with a dear young wife, would not be a hardship; but togo alone is rather dismal. Don't you think it must be?"
"Yes; I have never tried it, but I should think it was. When mamma diedand papa had to go away on his ship--oh, you don't know how hard it wasto part with him--I still had my brother Max and dear Gracie. I had themboth until a good while after papa came home to stay; so I have neverbeen all alone."
"And I sincerely hope you never may be," he said. "But do you never feelas if you would like to have a life companion, such as Maud was givento-day?"
"A husband, do you mean? No, indeed! for then I should be obliged toleave my dear father--the best man in the world, the dearest, kindest,most loving father to me."
"He is all that, I am sure," said Keith; "but, perhaps, some day you mayfind that you can love another even better than you love him."
She shook her head dissentingly.
"I can hardly believe it possible. It seems to me that it would justbreak my heart to have to leave my father or to be separated from him inany way."
Keith sighed drearily. "Miss Raymond," he said, "I love you, I love youdevotedly, and if--if you have not given your affection to another,perhaps in time you may find it possible to return my love. Will you notlet me hope for that?"
"Oh, don't!" she said, half rising to leave him, her face scarlet withblushes. "I don't know anything about love,--that kind of love,--and myfather has forbidden me to listen to such things and----"
"But he would let you this time, for he gave me permission to speak toyou and--and tell you of my love."
"That is very strange; I don't understand it," she said, sinking backinto her chair with a look of perplexity and distress on her face."Ah," brightening a little, "I think papa knew there was no danger thatI would be willing to leave him for anybody else."
"Yes; I suppose that was it," sighed Keith, and, at that moment, therecame an interruption, very welcome to Lucilla, in the form of little Nedlooking for papa. And the n
ext moment papa himself, to find CaptainKeith and hand him a letter; a servant having just brought the afternoonmail. Then Lucilla slipped away to her own room, where she stayed untilsummoned to the dining room by the tea bell.