The wedding was over so quickly that she scarcely realised it.There was the stuffy little church, very empty and dusty, with brass plates on the wall.She could hear, in the street, rumblings of carts and the rattle of wheels; somewhere a barrel-organ played.The clergyman was a little man who smiled upon her kindly.When Paul put the ring on her finger she started as though for a moment she awoke from a dream.She was glad that he looked so clean and tidy.Grace was wearing too grand a hat with black feathers.In the vestry Paul kissed her, and then they walked down the aisle together.She saw Katherine and Millie and Henry.Her fingers caught tightly about Paul's stout arm, but she would have been more at home she thought with Uncle Mathew just then.
It was a nice bright spring day, although the wind blew the dust about.They had a meal in Katherine's house and some one made a speech, and Maggie drank some champagne.She hoped she looked nice in her grey silk dress, and then caught sight of herself in a glass and thought she was as ever a fright.
"My little wild thing--mine now," whispered Paul.She thought that rather silly; she was not a wild thing, but simply Maggie Cardinal.
Oh, no! Maggie Trenchard...She did not feel Maggie Trenchard at all and she did not suppose that she ever would.
They were to have a fortnight alone at Skeaton before Grace came.
Maggie was glad of that.Paul was really nicer when Grace was not there.
They were all very kind to her.They had given her good presents--Millie some silver brushes, Henry some books, Philip a fan, and Katherine a most beautiful dressing-bag.Maggie had never had such things before.But she could have wished for something from her own people.She had written to Uncle Mathew but had not heard from him.
At the very last moment, on the morning of the wedding day, a present came from the aunts--an old box for handkerchiefs.The cover was inlaid with sea-shells and there was a little looking-glass inside.
Very soon it was all over and then to her own intense surprise she was alone in the train with Paul.What had she expected? She did not know--but somehow not this.
They were in a first-class carriage.Paul was doing the thing nobly.
He sat close to her, his broad knee against her dress.How broad his knee was, a great expanse of black shining cloth.He took her hand and rested it on the expanse, and, at the touch of the stuff and the throb of the warm flesh beneath it, she shivered a little and would wish to have drawn her hand away.He seemed so much larger than she had expected; from his knee to his high shining white collar was an immense distance and midway there was a thick gold watch-chain rising and falling as he breathed.He smelt very faintly of tooth-powder.
But on the whole she was comfortable; only the thin gold ring round her finger felt strange.Deep in a little pocket inside her blouse was the ring with the three little pearls.
"I do hope, Maggie darling," he said, "you don't think it strange our not going somewhere else for our honeymoon.My lads will be expecting me back--I was kept longer in London than I should have been--by you, you little witch.My witch now--"He put his arm round her waist and urged her head towards his coat.
But her hat, her beautiful hat that had cost so much more than she had ever spent on a hat before, was in the way.It struck into his chin.They were both uncomfortable and then, thank heaven, the train slowed down; they were at a station and some one got into their carriage, a stout man, all newspaper and creases to his trousers.
That, in the circumstances, was a great relief and soon Maggie dozed, seeing the telegraph wires and the trees like waving hands through a mist of sleep.
