'"A pretty notion, forsooth!" quoth she with a derisive snort. "What! Mistress Fan, would you have those beautiful lace ruffles dip into the trenchers, and get steeped in honey and conserves? Sure, Master Oliver's basin of milk would be pouring over your fine kirtle, before breakfast was over. No, no; I am going at least to send you to church fit to behold, happen what may afterwards."
'And mamma coming in while we were disputing settled the point instantly in favour of nurse's decree. I could not argue with mamma, so I was silenced as once; and quietly submitted to wear one of the pretty new dresses, which had been made for my wedding outfit. Mamma sent nurse away, saying that she would finish dressing me herself; and I was glad to be alone with her, for I had seen much less of her than usual of late. Ever since Sir Harry had left us, rather more than a fortnight before, there had been a constant bustle of preparation going on in the house. It was not only my approaching wedding that caused this bustle,—the Christmas festivities had also to be prepared for; and mamma had been busy from morning till night. Besides the roast beef and boar's head, the plum-pudding and mince-pies, for our own household, there was Christmas cheer for the poor people of the village to be supplied,—blankets and fuel and clothing to be given away. Then there were my wedding clothes, too, for mamma to think about. Such an ample new wardrobe had been provided for me, that I began to think that my husband and I were to take up our "splendid position at court" at once, after all, instead of waiting till the far-off time of being grown-up. I could not help feeling considerable pride and satisfaction in these new clothes of mine; they were made in such a much less childish way than my old ones, and cut so much more in the fashion of the day. Once, when nurse was asleep after dinner, I gave Oliver a private view of them; but he made such horrible faces of ridicule and contempt, that my own respect for them began to diminish on the spot.
'It certainly was wearisome work having these things continually tried on. "Pride feels no pain," nurse and Rebecca used to assure me when they pounced upon me just as I was rushing into the garden with the boys to feed the rabbits, or into the kitchen on the chance of getting a stray dainty from the manifold good things in preparation there. Nevertheless my pride generally gave way, on these occasions, to the twofold pain of being obliged to stand still, and of seeing the boys run off without me; and I used to pout and fume and twitch till it became hard to tell which was most out of humour—nurse, Rebecca, or myself.
'"What is the use of my having all these grand new things if I am not to have a house of my own, but to go on living at home just the same as ever?" This question suddenly struck me one day, and I asked nurse; whereupon she shut her eyes and shook her head, remarking that "little ladies shouldn't be curious;" after which she gave vent to a doleful and ominous sigh, and kissed me, muttering something about a "poor thoughtless dear." Now, as mamma was putting the finishing touches to my toilet, arranging my tucker, and smoothing the hair that always seemed to get into disorder if I moved my head, I put the same question to her; but she only smiled a little and stroked my head, telling me that I should know everything in good time. "But, madam," I persisted, "is Lord Desmond going to stay here, and live with us, and play with me, and do lessons like Oliver?"
'"No, my dear Fan," she said, "he will not stay with us, neither will you go away with him; but that is all I can tell you at present. To-morrow we shall have time for a little talk together, and then you shall hear all about your father's—about our plans for you. Now, sweetheart, you shall say your prayers to me this morning; and then we must go down to breakfast, and present you to this little bridegroom of yours." My mother said these last words playfully, and her own bright smile shone in her eyes for a moment; but in the next they were swimming with tears, and her voice sounded very odd and husky when, after I had prayed as usual for her, my father, and my brothers, she bade me pray also that my husband might be blessed, and that when I grew up to be a woman I might keep the promises which I was going to make to-day.
'How well I remember the sudden rush of shyness which came over me as I went down the staircase that morning! Never in my life before had I felt so painfully and intensely shy. Miles and Roger passed us, extremely snowy and wet and rosy, running up to their nursery breakfast, and at that instant I had a strong inclination to burst away from mamma and fly after them.
"I say," whispered Roger confidentially, catching my sleeve as he passed, "your husband wants to know if it makes you angry to be snow-balled."
'"Poor Fan," said Miles with heartfelt commiseration as he glanced at my dress, "I suppose she will never be able to make snow-balls now, or catch carp any more!"
'Mamma drew her hand gently away from me when we reached the door of the breakfast parlour, and I followed her into the room with glowing cheeks, and eyes fixed on the floor. It was in what is now the billiard-room that we used to breakfast, and it seemed to me perfectly full of people. Though Sir Harry Mountfort had not been able to bring his ward till the night before, there had been no lack of guests staying in the house since Christmas-eve. It was the first time for two or three years that my father had been at home at this season; and Horsemandown was fuller of visitors, and more merriment had been going on in the shape of mumming, dancing, and Christmas games, than had ever been the case before in my recollection. When I rose up from the very deep and swimming courtesy with which the young ladies of my time were taught to greet their acquaintances, I was for a few moments only conscious of eyes bent upon me, and voices buzzing confusedly in my ears.
"Ah, here she is at last!" "Here is the little bride!" "Poor child, how shamefaced she is!" "Faith, a well-favoured little maiden too!" were some of the exclamations that greeted my entrance; while my father came toward me at once, kissed my forehead very affectionately, and led me, wavering between shyness and curiosity, up to one of the deep window recesses, in which Sir Harry Mountfort stood talking to a group of gentlemen. He broke off what he was saying, and advanced to meet me, exclaiming: