She thought it very strange, too, that Madge would, or did leave, without hinting her intentions to her.
As the day wore away, Clara felt in hopes that Sherwood had given up his desire to marry her out of revenge, and that she would be set at liberty. However, in this she was bitterly disappointed. It wanted about an hour of sunset, when the renegade entered her lodge accompanied by a white man, whom he introduced as Father Jules, the missionary.
“I have come, Miss Bryant,” the villain said, “to claim a fulfillment of your promise to wed me.”
A low sob escaped poor Clara’s lips, and she turned ghastly pale.
“Are you not sick, my dear child?” asked Father Jules.
“No, sir,” faintly articulated the maiden, whose senses seemed deserting her, and whose heart grew sick and faint.
“And you are willing to become the wife of Richard Sherwood, are you?” questioned the missionary.
Clara answered in the affirmative, though she was almost totally unconscious of what was passing about her, and but for the support of the renegade she would have fallen.
In this state of semi-consciousness the maiden stood by the side of Sherwood, and the marriage ceremony was performed.
When the missionary pronounced them man and wife, Clara had wholly fainted. Restoratives, however, were immediately applied, and she was brought back to consciousness.