Ingelow_Off_the_Skelligs.txt topic ['13', '324', '378', '393']
not shown any remark-
able delicacy about appropriating him on my account ; all this
had come from the daughter.
wrote to begging that he would exhort to
patience, and also to importunity. the meantime took
everything very easily myself, and when came back and
declared that if the would not let marry at
once, he would give up this engagement also, could not believe
it ; such a thing would so cover him with ridicule ; besides, he
loved , and she was supposed to love him.
484 .
took me out for a walk, and presently, as we sat on a
lovely grass slope looking out to sea, he began to ask me to fix
the time for our wedding.
begged him to leave it for a time. could not believe that
it would really take place, and wanted to rest in the peace and
happiness of the present. this view he did not share, and at
last proposed a day a distant one certainly and he was so
dissatisfied with it that asked him what his own views
were. replied, and laughed, that he thought next -
day would be a good day.
" ! " exclaimed in amazement ; " why, this
is ."
there was no preparation needed, he replied, and the
lovely white dress had on would surely do to be married in.
had always been his favourite day ; he should like
to be married on a .
began to look at my white gown ; and he, choosing to con-
sider that was yielding to his arguments, began to press me
further, till, becoming extremely nervous, begged him to
desist, and confessed how completely the notion that something
( could not shape to myself any idea what) would certainly
intervene to prevent the marriage. was the only remnant of
the terror and suspense had gone through, and when he
reasoned with me it became more vivid, till at last he asked
what could possibly suppose would intervene. must be a
presentiment of death, he remarked ; nothing else could part us.
; it was not death; could give no account of it.
wished to persuade me that it was nothing but a nervous fancy,
that the longer indulged it the worse it would become.
could possibly put it into his head, inquired, that
would be married so soon ? indeed !
though he argued the matter all the way home, and laughed
a good deal over it, yet, as it had been proposed only half in
earnest, he gave it up with a very good grace. the next
morning, when he came to see me, could not help observing
that he was out of spirits, so much out of spirits, that really
did not like to ask him the reason. went to walk in the
"landslip," and sat down, and then he told me what was the
matter. had got a. \&\te ; .
. 485
declined to make any change as to the two years that he was to
wait ; he had positively refused to wait, and she had accordingly
desired that he would return her daughter's letters and give up
the engagement ; which he had done !
was more than disturbed at this ; was even shocked.
should make himself ridiculous and behave ill, was
nothing ; but that should condescend to be jealous of him
now (and he made this very evident) was more than could
bear, and spoke to him with an asperity that am sure
astonished him; and when he answered gently, burst into
tears. could not bear.
" he wants to come down here," said .
" shall not come," answered ; " will not have him
here."
" , my dearest, you are not afraid of seeing him again."
! , how my whole heart rebelled against such an
idea ! insisted that he should not come ; he was always
making some mischief in what concerned me ; there would be
no more peace if he appeared ; and, being excessively hurt at
seeing . 's discomfiture, declared that his being
annoyed at this matter, jealous and disturbed, was almost cruel
to me very nearly insulting.
" shall not come," repeated.
. answered that he did not know how to prevent it.
had left , and gone with the to
. would take lodgings, and might not write to
give him their address before . proposed
to come on .
being destined to cure him of his jealousy once and
for ever, but being only, to my own apprehension, very angry
with , and feeling hurt at the distrust of my love,
replied, not without some of the most passionate tears had
ever shed, and not without certain upbraidings too, "
well then; said would not be married on should
not think of such a thing but rather than he should trouble
my peace, and see that you condescend to be jealous of him,
will ! "
my recollection is correct, said this in a somewhat
threatening spirit against , ha \iorc\i faA \aa ^m,
486 .
and as to certainly meant it to mark my sense of his
conduct which was displeasing me.
when dried my eyes, and saw his face ; when heard
him say that he never would condescend to be jealous again as long
as he lived; and when found that as we walked home together
he was very silent, and never said a word about ,
could not summon courage to mention it either ; but while
sat in my room waiting till it was dinner-time, and considering
whether he would treat my words as if they had not been said
with due consideration, . came in. " ," she
said gently, ". wants you to go out fishing this
afternoon ; but if buy the silk for you, the dress can easily be
made by ."
was said, was certain, at . 's instance, to
discover whether would hold to what had said. sat a
minute, lost in thought, but my good angel pleaded with me ;
. had gone through enough worry already, and too
much, about me. could there be a more convenient time ?
and how could be kept from making me uncomfort-
able if he came ? had determined as we walked home to let
things be ; so at last said, " always promised me that
should walk to church through the fields. as he is
rather infatuated about a white morning-gown that have, it
would be better that should wear that." the thing was
settled.
had letters from on ; and to my
deep delight and thankfulness found that my dear
would never feel my not coming to my house there as
had feared. had met with an excellent man, a missionary,
and they had found each other so well suited that she had
married him. was not till , the very day before my
wedding, that let write and tell them all at .
also, as well as he, wrote to and ; and as
was not now to go to , we made over that house
and everything in it to them. was to have it instead of her
portion, a right good exchange ; for an clergyman, as
we had good reason to know, would be a most welcome arrival
in that particular locality ; and if he had not a church to begin
his ministrations in, na \\ t o\)\3i \\a.\^ sl' wv^kv&l o\Ls& had
. 487
many a day with his own hands ; and would have
a garden that was the envy of the colony !
was very nervous ; the days of snow and silence all over
the country, during which had waited for a wedding already,
kept constantly recurring to me unless . was by, and
he would not allude to the past.
last came. woke, and could hardly believe
it. breakfasted precisely as usual ; then the two children
and their parents set off on foot to the little quiet church,
and and followed over two or three fields. sat down
on a grassy bank, to put on some new gloves ; these were not
white, however, and , though wore a white dress, as usually
did in the morning, had no other bridal array. did not even
then believe that all would go well. had a vivid recollection
of the telegrams. we rose, and he took me on to the church,
a little rural building that stood open. saw .
, who had come from to give me away, and
no one else at all, but . with his white gown on,
and . with the children.
ceremony actually began, and perceived, almost to my
surprise, that we certainly were being married after all ! as
if it was quite impossible that anything concerning me could be
done as other people do it, all on a sudden, while held my
hand, a thought seemed to flash straight out of his heart into mine,
that he had forgotten the ring. was quite sure of it : he did
not even put his finger into his waistcoat pocket, as a man might
have done who had bought one and left it behind. was
no ring ; he had forgotten it.
pause.
" ," said . ; and . , with
all the good-will in the world, and with . to help
her, tried to get her ring off her dear, fat, friendly hand, and
tried in vain.
almost groaned. had expected me to be more than
commonly nervous ; now seemed some ground for it ; but real
and sheer nervousness often goes off when there is anything
to be nervous about, and now felt very much at my ease, and
whispered to that a ring would be found somewhere.
it waa clerk had darted out oi tine c&lutc&l aft, itaa ^x&\i\^&
488 .
of . 's hand, and in a few minutes he returned,
following a lovely, fresh-complexioned, young woman in a linen
sun-bonnet, and with a fat, crowing baby on her arm. was
out of breath, and coming up to quickly, she thrust out
her honest hand, and allowed him to draw her ring off, and marry
me with it. healthy-looking young fellow, in a paper cap,
which he presently removed, came slouching in after her, and
looked on, unable, as it seemed, to repress an occasional grin of
amusement ; and when the ceremony was over, they followed us
into the vestry, and we all sat talking a little while, till some
rings were brought from a shop for me, and chose one
and paid for it. felt that was , .
returned the ring he had used to the young woman, but
observed that she made her husband put it on for her again; and
as he did so, he remarked to , with a certain quaint com-
placency, that wives wanted humouring ; and for his part (he
might be wrong), he considered it was their due. in all
good faith assuring him that he would never repent what he had
that day done, he set his paper cap on his head, and retired with
his family, while we, having taken leave of our friends, stepped
out into the fields, and departed together to begin our story.