CHAPTER XVII
"A FINE THING, NO MATTER WHAT HAPPENS"
After the noonday meal, on the day of Captain Horn's departure, Mrs.Cliff went apart with Maka and Cheditafa, and there endeavored to findout, as best she might, the ideas and methods of the latter in regard tothe matrimonial service. In spite of the combined efforts of the two,with their limited command of English, to make her understand how thesethings were done in the forests and wilds of the Dark Continent, shecould not decide whether the forms of the Episcopal Church, those of theBaptists, or those of the Quakers, could be more easily assimilated withthe previous notions of Cheditafa on the subject. But having been marriedherself, she thought she knew very well what was needed, and so, withoutendeavoring to persuade the negro priest that his opinions regarding themarriage rites were all wrong, or to make him understand what sort of awedding she would have had if they had all been in their own land, sheendeavored to impress upon his mind the forms and phrases of a verysimple ceremony, which she believed would embody all that was necessary.
Cheditafa was a man of considerable intelligence, and the feeling thathe was about to perform such an important ceremony for the benefit ofsuch a great man as Captain Horn filled his soul with pride and a strongdesire to acquit himself creditably in this honorable function, and hewas able before very long to satisfy Mrs. Cliff that, with Maka'sassistance as prompting clerk, he might be trusted to go through theceremony without serious mistake.
She was strongly of the opinion that if she conducted the marriageceremony it would be far better in every way than such a performance by acoal-black heathen; but as she knew that her offices would not count foranything in a civilized world, whereas the heathen ministry might beconsidered satisfactory, she accepted the situation, and kept heropinions to herself.
The wedding took place about six o'clock in the afternoon, on the plateauin front of the great stone face, at a spot where the projecting rockscast a shade upon the heated ground. Cheditafa, attired in the best suitof clothes which could be made up from contributions from all hisfellow-countrymen present, stood on the edge of the line of shadow, hishands clasped, his head slightly bowed, his bright eyes glancing fromside to side, and his face filled with an expression of anxiety toobserve everything and make no mistakes. Maka stood near him, and behindthe two, in the brilliant sunlight, were grouped the other negroes, allvery attentive and solemn, looking a little frightened, as if they werenot quite sure that sacrifices were not customary on such occasions.
Captain Horn stood, tall and erect, his jacket a little torn, but with anair of earnest dignity upon his handsome, sunburnt features, which, withhis full dark beard and rather long hair, gave him the appearance of anold-time chieftain about to embark upon some momentous enterprise. By hisside was Edna Markham, pale, and dressed in the simple gown in which shehad left the ship, but as beautiful, in the eyes of Mrs. Cliff, as if shehad been arrayed in orange-blossoms and white satin.
Reverently the two answered the simple questions whichwere put to them.]
Reverently the two answered the simple questions which were put to them,and made the necessary promises, and slowly and carefully, and in verygood English, Cheditafa pronounced them man and wife. Mrs. Cliff thenproduced a marriage certificate, written with a pencil, as nearly as shecould remember, in the words of her own document of that nature, on aleaf torn from the captain's note-book, and to this she signedCheditafa's name, to which the African, under her directions, affixed hismark. Then Ralph and Mrs. Cliff signed as witnesses, and the certificatewas delivered to Edna.
"Now," said the captain, "I will go aboard."
The whole party, Edna and the captain a little in the lead, walked downto the beach, where the boat lay, ready to be launched. During the shortwalk Captain Horn talked rapidly and earnestly to Edna, confining hisremarks, however, to directions and advice as to what should be doneuntil he returned, or, still more important, as to what should be done ifhe did not return at all.
When they reached the beach, the captain shook hands with Edna, Mrs.Cliff, and Ralph, and then, turning to Cheditafa, he informed him thatthat lady, pointing to Edna, was now the mistress of himself and Mok, andthat every word of command she gave them must be obeyed exactly as if hehad given it to them himself. He was shortly coming back, he said, andwhen he saw them again, their reward should depend entirely upon thereports he should receive of their conduct.
"But I know," said he, "that you are a good man, and that I can trustyou, and I will hold you responsible for Mok."
This was the end of the leave-taking. The captain stepped into his boatand took the oars. Then the four negroes, two on a side, ran out thelittle craft as far as possible through the surf, and then, when they hadscrambled on board, the captain pulled out into smooth water.
Hoisting his little sail, and seating himself in the stern, with thetiller in his hand, he brought the boat round to the wind. Once he turnedtoward shore and waved his hat, and then he sailed away toward thewestern sky.
Mrs. Cliff and Ralph walked together toward the caves, leaving Edna aloneupon the beach.
"Well," said Ralph, "this is the first wedding I ever saw, but I must sayit is rather different from my idea of that sort of thing. I thought thatpeople always kissed at such affairs, and there was general jollificationand cake, but this seemed more like a newfangled funeral, with the deardeparted acting as his own Charon and steering himself across the Styx."
"He might have kissed her," said Mrs. Cliff, thoughtfully. "But you see,Ralph, everything had to be very different from ordinary weddings. It wasa very peculiar case."
"I should hope so," said the boy,--"the uncommoner the better. In fact,I shouldn't call it a wedding at all. It seemed more like taking a firstdegree in widowhood."
"Ralph," said Mrs. Cliff, "that is horrible. Don't you ever say anythinglike that again. I hope you are not going to distress your sister withsuch remarks."
"You need not say anything about Edna!" he exclaimed. "I shall not worryher with any criticisms of the performance. The fact is, she will needcheering up, and if I can do it I will. She's captain now, and I'll standup for her like a good fellow."
Edna stood on the beach, gazing out on the ocean illuminated by the raysof the setting sun, keeping her eyes fixed on the captain's boat until itbecame a mere speck. Then, when it had vanished entirely among the lightsand shades of the evening sea, she still stood a little while andwatched. Then she turned and slowly walked up to the plateau. Everythingthere was just as she had known it for weeks. The great stone face seemedto smile in the last rays of the setting sun. Mrs. Cliff came to meether, her face glowing with smiles, and Ralph threw his arms around herneck and kissed her, without, however, saying a word about that sort ofthing having been omitted in the ceremony of the afternoon.
"My dear Edna," exclaimed Mrs. Cliff, "from the bottom of my heart Icongratulate you! No matter how we look at it, a rare piece of goodfortune has come to you."
Edna gazed at her for a moment, and then she answered quietly, "Oh, yes,it was a fine thing, no matter what happens. If he does not come back, Ishall make a bold stroke for widowhood; and if he does come back, he isbound, after all this, to give me a good share of that treasure. So, yousee, we have done the best we can do to be rich and happy, if we are notso unlucky as to perish among these rocks and sand."
"She is almost as horrible as Ralph," thought Mrs. Cliff, "but she willget over it."