IX
They had fixed on the Wednesday following the last time of asking, for their wedding-day. But when they came to discuss the matter with Mrs. Carré, it was found that an alteration would be necessary.
"Ah, but that will not do," said their landlady, who was in high feather at so unique an event taking place in her cottage, so to speak, though, as a matter of fact, the festivities were to be carried out within the ampler precincts of the Red House. "You see, old Mr. Hamon he iss died very sudden—"
"Not old Tom surely?" asked Graeme.
"He iss old Tom's father, and they will bury him on Wednesday, and you would not like to be married the sem day—"
"No, indeed," said Margaret. "We will wait."
"And, you see, all them that would be coming to the wedding would be at the funeral, for efferybody belongs to efferybody else here."
"Must be a bit awkward at times," suggested Graeme.
"Oh noh!" with a touch of airy aloofness. "I haf been at a wedding and a funeral and a baptism all in one week all among the sem people. And I was at one young man's wedding one day last year and at his funeral the same day the next week after."
"That was dreadful," said Margaret. "Do you think it would be safe to fix it for the following Wednesday, Mrs. Carré?"
"Oh yes, I think! There iss no one very sick. Mr. Hamon he wass a very old man and he died very sudden. He wass just knocking a nail in the pigsty and he drop down and died."
"Poor old man!"
"He wass very old and he wass a good man. No one ever said any harm of old Mr. Hamon."
"Then if no one else dies we'll say the following Wednesday," said Graeme. "And if—well, if anything happens to prevent it, then we must go across to Guernsey and get Mr. Lee to marry us."
"Oh, but that woult not do. We will keep them all alive till you are married. It woult neffer do to disappoint them all when we are all looking forward to it here."
"Very well then, see you all keep alive."
"And you will come to old Mr. Hamon's funeral?"
"H'm! I don't know. We'll see, Mrs. Carré. We'd sooner be at our own wedding, you know, than at anybody else's funeral."
"They woult like it iff you woult. And he was a goot old man. They tell me to ask if you woult be pleased to come."
"If they would like us to come we will come, Mrs. Carré," said Margaret.
And so it came about that instead of kneeling before the altar that Wednesday they stood by the graveside.