“Were you going to Kentucky?” she asked, and Ben replied: “Yes, goin’ to see how Miss Raymond looks at the head of a family. You’ve heard, I s’pose, that Marian Grey was Fred’s runaway wife, and that they are as happy now as two clams.”
Unmindful of the fierce twinges of pain it gave her to move, Isabel started up exclaiming, “No, no, how can that be?”
“Just as easy,” said Ben, proceeding to narrate a few particulars to his astonished listener, who, when he had finished, lay back again upon her pillow, weeping bitterly.
This, then, was the end of all her secret hopes. Frederic was surely lost to her; the beautiful Marian Grey was his wife, and what was worse than all, her treachery was undoubtedly suspected, and what must they think of her? Poor Isabel, she was in a measure suffering for her sins, and she continued to weep while Ben tried in vain to sooth her, talking to her upon the subject uppermost in his mind, namely, Marian’s happiness and his own joy that it had all come right at last. Isabel would rather have heard of anything else, but when she saw how kind Ben was, she compelled herself to listen, even though every word he said of Marian and Frederic pierced her with a keener pain than even her bruises produced.
“I shan’t be in time for the doin’s any way,” thought Ben, when Mrs. Huntington did not come at the expected time, and as he fancied it his duty to let Marian know why he was not there, he telegraphed to her, “We’ve had a break down, and Isabel is knocked into a cocked hat.”
This telegram, which created no little sensation at the office, was copied verbatim and sent to Frederic, who read it, while Marian, in her chamber, was dressing for the party. He could not forbear laughing heartily, it sounded so much like Ben, but he wisely determined to keep it from his wife and Alice, as it might cause them unnecessary anxiety. He accordingly thrust it in his pocket, and then, when it was time, went up for Marian, who, in her bridal dress of satin and lace, with pearls and diamonds woven among her shining hair, and flashing from her neck and arms, looked wondrously beautiful to him, and received many words of commendation from the guests, who soon began to appear, and who felt that the bride of Redstone Hall well became her high position. Many were the pleasant jokes passed at Frederic’s expense, and the clergyman who had officiated at his wedding more than six years before, laughingly offered to repeat the ceremony. But Frederic shook his head, saying, he was satisfied if Marian was, while the look the beautiful, blushing bride gave to him, was quite as expressive of her answer as words would have been. And so, amid smiles and congratulations, the song and the dance moved on, and all went merry as a marriage bell, until at last, as the clock told the hour of midnight, the last guest had departed, and Frederic, with his arm round Marian, was calling her Mrs. Raymond, on purpose to see her blush, when there came up the avenue the sound of rapid wheels, followed by a bound on the piazza, and the next moment Ben burst into the room, holding up both hands, as he caught sight of Marian in her bridal robes.
“My goodness!” he exclaimed. “Ain’t she pretty, though. It’s curis how clothes will fix up a woman,” and the tears came to Ben’s eyes in his delight at seeing Marian so resplendent in jewels and costly lace.
The meeting between Frederic and Ben was like brother greeting brother, for the former felt that he almost owed his life to the great-hearted Yankee, and he grasped his hand warmly, bidding him welcome to Redstone Hall, and, by his kind, familiar manner, putting him at once at his ease. Alice, too, did her part well, and, pressing Ben’s hand to her lips, she said:
“I love you, Ben Burt; love you a heap, for being so good to Marian.”
“Don’t now,” said Ben, whiningly. “Don’t set me to bellerin’ the fust thing. I only did what anybody would have done, unless the milk of human kindness was all turned to bonny clabber!” Then, as he thought of Isabel, he continued, “I tried to get here sooner, but Miss Huntington didn’t come till the last minute, and I couldn’t leave Isabel. How she does take on about her sp’ilt beauty.”