“What I told you, my dear,” cried the old man testily. “Go and keep with my poor darling till the last.”
Edie crept to her cousin’s side and stayed there during the admiral’s speech, one which contained more heart than head; listened with heaving breast to the toast of the bride’s health, and to the well-spoken, manly reply made by James Barron. And so on till the time when the bride might slip away to change her dress for the journey down to Southampton, the wedding trip commencing the next day on board the great steamer outward bound for the West.
“Guest, my lad,” said the admiral, drawing the young man aside, “servants are all very well, but I’d be thankful if you’d see yourself that Mr Barron’s carriage is up to the door in time. Myra is not well, and she has sent a message to me to beg that she may be allowed to slip away quietly with few good-byes. I suppose the people will have all the satin slipper and rice throwing tomfoolery.”
“You may depend upon me, Sir Mark,” said Guest eagerly; and he set about his task at once, greatly to the butler’s disgust.
The minutes went swiftly then; the guests gathering on the staircase and crowding the hall, while the carriage, with its servants, stood waiting, with an avenue of people down to the door.
Guest was on the step seeing that the wraps and various little articles needed on the journey were handed in. Barron, looking flushed and proud, was in the hall, with his hand grasped by Sir Mark, and a murmur of excitement and a cheer announced that the bride was coming down, when the bridegroom’s carriage began to move on.
The sudden starting of the horses made Guest turn sharply.
“Hi! Stop! Do you hear?” he shouted, and several of the servants waiting outside took up the cry, “Coming down.” But the carriage moved on and a four-wheeled cab took its place, amid a roar of laughter from the crowd.
At the same moment three businesslike looking men stepped into the hall, and before the butler and footmen could stop them they were close up to the foot of the staircase.
Sir Mark turned upon them angrily, but one of them gripped his arm and said quickly: