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The
bridesmaids
'
eight
bouquets
of
white
lilac
and
lilies-of-the-valley
had
been
sent
in
due
time
,
as
well
as
the
gold
and
sapphire
sleeve-links
of
the
eight
ushers
and
the
best
man
's
cat
's
-
eye
scarf-pin
;
Archer
had
sat
up
half
the
night
trying
to
vary
the
wording
of
his
thanks
for
the
last
batch
of
presents
from
men
friends
and
ex-lady-loves
;
the
fees
for
the
Bishop
and
the
Rector
were
safely
in
the
pocket
of
his
best
man
;
his
own
luggage
was
already
at
Mrs.
Manson
Mingott
's
,
where
the
wedding-breakfast
was
to
take
place
,
and
so
were
the
travelling
clothes
into
which
he
was
to
change
;
and
a
private
compartment
had
been
engaged
in
the
train
that
was
to
carry
the
young
couple
to
their
unknown
destination
--
concealment
of
the
spot
in
which
the
bridal
night
was
to
be
spent
being
one
of
the
most
sacred
taboos
of
the
prehistoric
ritual
.
"
Got
the
ring
all
right
?
"
whispered
young
van
der
Luyden
Newland
,
who
was
inexperienced
in
the
duties
of
a
best
man
,
and
awed
by
the
weight
of
his
responsibility.Archer
made
the
gesture
which
he
had
seen
so
many
bridegrooms
make
:
with
his
ungloved
right
hand
he
felt
in
the
pocket
of
his
dark
grey
waistcoat
,
and
assured
himself
that
the
little
gold
circlet
(
engraved
inside
:
Newland
to
May
,
April
--
-
,
187
-
)
was
in
its
place
;
then
,
resuming
his
former
attitude
,
his
tall
hat
and
pearl-grey
gloves
with
black
stitchings
grasped
in
his
left
hand
,
he
stood
looking
at
the
door
of
the
church
.
Overhead
,
Handel
's
March
swelled
pompously
through
the
imitation
stone
vaulting
,
carrying
on
its
waves
the
faded
drift
of
the
many
weddings
at
which
,
with
cheerful
indifference
,
he
had
stood
on
the
same
chancel
step
watching
other
brides
float
up
the
nave
toward
other
bridegrooms
.
"
How
like
a
first
night
at
the
Opera
!
"
he
thought
,
recognising
all
the
same
faces
in
the
same
boxes
(
no
,
pews
)
,
and
wondering
if
,
when
the
Last
Trump
sounded
,
Mrs.
Selfridge
Merry
would
be
there
with
the
same
towering
ostrich
feathers
in
her
bonnet
,
and
Mrs.
Beaufort
with
the
same
diamond
earrings
and
the
same
smile
--
and
whether
suitable
proscenium
seats
were
already
prepared
for
them
in
another
world.After
that
there
was
still
time
to
review
,
one
by
one
,
the
familiar
countenances
in
the
first
rows
;
the
women
's
sharp
with
curiosity
and
excitement
,
the
men
's
sulky
with
the
obligation
of
having
to
put
on
their
frock-coats
before
luncheon
,
and
fight
for
food
at
the
wedding-breakfast
.
"
Too
bad
the
breakfast
is
at
old
Catherine
's
,
"
the
bridegroom
could
fancy
Reggie
Chivers
saying
.
"
But
I
'm
told
that
Lovell
Mingott
insisted
on
its
being
cooked
by
his
own
chef
,
so
it
ought
to
be
good
if
one
can
only
get
at
it
.
"
And
he
could
imagine
Sillerton
Jackson
adding
with
authority
:
"
My
dear
fellow
,
have
n't
you
heard
?
It
's
to
be
served
at
small
tables
,
in
the
new
English
fashion
.
"
Archer
's
eyes
lingered
a
moment
on
the
left-hand
pew
,
where
his
mother
,
who
had
entered
the
church
on
Mr.
Henry
van
der
Luyden
's
arm
,
sat
weeping
softly
under
her
Chantilly
veil
,
her
hands
in
her
grandmother
's
ermine
muff
.
"
Poor
Janey
!
"
he
thought
,
looking
at
his
sister
,
"
even
by
screwing
her
head
around
she
can
see
only
the
people
in
the
few
front
pews
;
and
they
're
mostly
dowdy
Newlands
and
Dagonets
.
"
On
the
hither
side
of
the
white
ribbon
dividing
off
the
seats
reserved
for
the
families
he
saw
Beaufort
,
tall
and
redfaced
,
scrutinising
the
women
with
his
arrogant
stare
.
Beside
him
sat
his
wife
,
all
silvery
chinchilla
and
violets
;
and
on
the
far
side
of
the
ribbon
,
Lawrence
Lefferts
's
sleekly
brushed
head
seemed
to
mount
guard
over
the
invisible
deity
of
"
Good
Form
"
who
presided
at
the
ceremony.Archer
wondered
how
many
flaws
Lefferts
's
keen
eyes
would
discover
in
the
ritual
of
his
divinity
;
then
he
suddenly
recalled
that
he
too
had
once
thought
such
questions
important
.
The
things
that
had
filled
his
days
seemed
now
like
a
nursery
parody
of
life
,
or
like
the
wrangles
of
mediaeval
schoolmen
over
metaphysical
terms
that
nobody
had
ever
understood
.
A
stormy
discussion
as
to
whether
the
wedding
presents
should
be
"
shown
"
had
darkened
the
last
hours
before
the
wedding
;
and
it
seemed
inconceivable
to
Archer
that
grown-up
people
should
work
themselves
into
a
state
of
agitation
over
such
trifles
,
and
that
the
matter
should
have
been
decided
(
in
the
negative
)
by
Mrs.
Welland
's
saying
,
with
indignant
tears
:
"
I
should
as
soon
turn
the
reporters
loose
in
my
house
.
"
Yet
there
was
a
time
when
Archer
had
had
definite
and
rather
aggressive
opinions
on
all
such
problems
,
and
when
everything
concerning
the
manners
and
customs
of
his
little
tribe
had
seemed
to
him
fraught
with
world-wide
significance
.
"
And
all
the
while
,
I
suppose
,
"
he
thought
,
"
real
people
were
living
somewhere
,
and
real
things
happening
to
them
...
"
"
THERE
THEY
COME
!
"
breathed
the
best
man
excitedly
;
but
the
bridegroom
knew
better.The
cautious
opening
of
the
door
of
the
church
meant
only
that
Mr.
Brown
the
livery-stable
keeper
(
gowned
in
black
in
his
intermittent
character
of
sexton
)
was
taking
a
preliminary
survey
of
the
scene
before
marshalling
his
forces
.
The
door
was
softly
shut
again
;
then
after
another
interval
it
swung
majestically
open
,
and
a
murmur
ran
through
the
church
:
"
The
family
!
"
Mrs.
Welland
came
first
,
on
the
arm
of
her
eldest
son
.
Her
large
pink
face
was
appropriately
solemn
,
and
her
plum-coloured
satin
with
pale
blue
side-panels
,
and
blue
ostrich
plumes
in
a
small
satin
bonnet
,
met
with
general
approval
;
but
before
she
had
settled
herself
with
a
stately
rustle
in
the
pew
opposite
Mrs.
Archer
's
the
spectators
were
craning
their
necks
to
see
who
was
coming
after
her
.
Wild
rumours
had
been
abroad
the
day
before
to
the
effect
that
Mrs.
Manson
Mingott
,
in
spite
of
her
physical
disabilities
,
had
resolved
on
being
present
at
the
ceremony
;
and
the
idea
was
so
much
in
keeping
with
her
sporting
character
that
bets
ran
high
at
the
clubs
as
to
her
being
able
to
walk
up
the
nave
and
squeeze
into
a
seat
.
It
was
known
that
she
had
insisted
on
sending
her
own
carpenter
to
look
into
the
possibility
of
taking
down
the
end
panel
of
the
front
pew
,
and
to
measure
the
space
between
the
seat
and
the
front
;
but
the
result
had
been
discouraging
,
and
for
one
anxious
day
her
family
had
watched
her
dallying
with
the
plan
of
being
wheeled
up
the
nave
in
her
enormous
Bath
chair
and
sitting
enthroned
in
it
at
the
foot
of
the
chancel.The
idea
of
this
monstrous
exposure
of
her
person
was
so
painful
to
her
relations
that
they
could
have
covered
with
gold
the
ingenious
person
who
suddenly
discovered
that
the
chair
was
too
wide
to
pass
between
the
iron
uprights
of
the
awning
which
extended
from
the
church
door
to
the
curbstone
.
The
idea
of
doing
away
with
this
awning
,
and
revealing
the
bride
to
the
mob
of
dressmakers
and
newspaper
reporters
who
stood
outside
fighting
to
get
near
the
joints
of
the
canvas
,
exceeded
even
old
Catherine
's
courage
,
though
for
a
moment
she
had
weighed
the
possibility
.
"
Why
,
they
might
take
a
photograph
of
my
child
AND
PUT
IT
IN
THE
PAPERS
!
"
Mrs.
Welland
exclaimed
when
her
mother
's
last
plan
was
hinted
to
her
;
and
from
this
unthinkable
indecency
the
clan
recoiled
with
a
collective
shudder
.
The
ancestress
had
had
to
give
in
;
but
her
concession
was
bought
only
by
the
promise
that
the
wedding-breakfast
should
take
place
under
her
roof
,
though
(
as
the
Washington
Square
connection
said
)
with
the
Wellands
'
house
in
easy
reach
it
was
hard
to
have
to
make
a
special
price
with
Brown
to
drive
one
to
the
other
end
of
nowhere
.
Though
all
these
transactions
had
been
widely
reported
by
the
Jacksons
a
sporting
minority
still
clung
to
the
belief
that
old
Catherine
would
appear
in
church
,
and
there
was
a
distinct
lowering
of
the
temperature
when
she
was
found
to
have
been
replaced
by
her
daughter-in-law
.
Mrs.
Lovell
Mingott
had
the
high
colour
and
glassy
stare
induced
in
ladies
of
her
age
and
habit
by
the
effort
of
getting
into
a
new
dress
;
but
once
the
disappointment
occasioned
by
her
mother-in-law
's
non-appearance
had
subsided
,
it
was
agreed
that
her
black
Chantilly
over
lilac
satin
,
with
a
bonnet
of
Parma
violets
,
formed
the
happiest
contrast
to
Mrs.
Welland
's
blue
and
plum-colour
.
Far
different
was
the
impression
produced
by
the
gaunt
and
mincing
lady
who
followed
on
Mr.
Mingott
's
arm
,
in
a
wild
dishevelment
of
stripes
and
fringes
and
floating
scarves
;
and
as
this
last
apparition
glided
into
view
Archer
's
heart
contracted
and
stopped
beating.He
had
taken
it
for
granted
that
the
Marchioness
Manson
was
still
in
Washington
,
where
she
had
gone
some
four
weeks
previously
with
her
niece
,
Madame
Olenska
.
It
was
generally
understood
that
their
abrupt
departure
was
due
to
Madame
Olenska
's
desire
to
remove
her
aunt
from
the
baleful
eloquence
of
Dr.
Agathon
Carver
,
who
had
nearly
succeeded
in
enlisting
her
as
a
recruit
for
the
Valley
of
Love
;
and
in
the
circumstances
no
one
had
expected
either
of
the
ladies
to
return
for
the
wedding
.
For
a
moment
Archer
stood
with
his
eyes
fixed
on
Medora
's
fantastic
figure
,
straining
to
see
who
came
behind
her
;
but
the
little
procession
was
at
an
end
,
for
all
the
lesser
members
of
the
family
had
taken
their
seats
,
and
the
eight
tall
ushers
,
gathering
themselves
together
like
birds
or
insects
preparing
for
some
migratory
manoeuvre
,
were
already
slipping
through
the
side
doors
into
the
lobby
.
"
Newland
--
I
say
:
SHE
'S
HERE
!
"
the
best
man
whispered.Archer
roused
himself
with
a
start.A
long
time
had
apparently
passed
since
his
heart
had
stopped
beating
,
for
the
white
and
rosy
procession
was
in
fact
half
way
up
the
nave
,
the
Bishop
,
the
Rector
and
two
white-winged
assistants
were
hovering
about
the
flower-banked
altar
,
and
the
first
chords
of
the
Spohr
symphony
were
strewing
their
flower-like
notes
before
the
bride.Archer
opened
his
eyes
(
but
could
they
really
have
been
shut
,
as
he
imagined
?
)
,
and
felt
his
heart
beginning
to
resume
its
usual
task
.
The
music
,
the
scent
of
the
lilies
on
the
altar
,
the
vision
of
the
cloud
of
tulle
and
orange-blossoms
floating
nearer
and
nearer
,
the
sight
of
Mrs.
Archer
's
face
suddenly
convulsed
with
happy
sobs
,
the
low
benedictory
murmur
of
the
Rector
's
voice
,
the
ordered
evolutions
of
the
eight
pink
bridesmaids
and
the
eight
black
ushers
:
all
these
sights
,
sounds
and
sensations
,
so
familiar
in
themselves
,
so
unutterably
strange
and
meaningless
in
his
new
relation
to
them
,
were
confusedly
mingled
in
his
brain
.
"
My
God
,
"
he
thought
,
"
HAVE
I
got
the
ring
?
"
--
and
once
more
he
went
through
the
bridegroom
's
convulsive
gesture
.
Then
,
in
a
moment
,
May
was
beside
him
,
such
radiance
streaming
from
her
that
it
sent
a
faint
warmth
through
his
numbness
,
and
he
straightened
himself
and
smiled
into
her
eyes
.
"
Dearly
beloved
,
we
are
gathered
together
here
,
"
the
Rector
began
...
The
ring
was
on
her
hand
,
the
Bishop
's
benediction
had
been
given
,
the
bridesmaids
were
a-poise
to
resume
their
place
in
the
procession
,
and
the
organ
was
showing
preliminary
symptoms
of
breaking
out
into
the
Mendelssohn
March
,
without
which
no
newly-wedded
couple
had
ever
emerged
upon
New
York
.
"
Your
arm
--
I
SAY
,
GIVE
HER
YOUR
ARM
!
"
young
Newland
nervously
hissed
;
and
once
more
Archer
became
aware
of
having
been
adrift
far
off
in
the
unknown
.
What
was
it
that
had
sent
him
there
,
he
wondered
?
Perhaps
the
glimpse
,
among
the
anonymous
spectators
in
the
transept
,
of
a
dark
coil
of
hair
under
a
hat
which
,
a
moment
later
,
revealed
itself
as
belonging
to
an
unknown
lady
with
a
long
nose
,
so
laughably
unlike
the
person
whose
image
she
had
evoked
that
he
asked
himself
if
he
were
becoming
subject
to
hallucinations.And
now
he
and
his
wife
were
pacing
slowly
down
the
nave
,
carried
forward
on
the
light
Mendelssohn
ripples
,
the
spring
day
beckoning
to
them
through
widely
opened
doors
,
and
Mrs.
Welland
's
chestnuts
,
with
big
white
favours
on
their
frontlets
,
curvetting
and
showing
off
at
the
far
end
of
the
canvas
tunnel.The
footman
,
who
had
a
still
bigger
white
favour
on
his
lapel
,
wrapped
May
's
white
cloak
about
her
,
and
Archer
jumped
into
the
brougham
at
her
side
.
She
turned
to
him
with
a
triumphant
smile
and
their
hands
clasped
under
her
veil
.
"
Darling
!
"
Archer
said
--
and
suddenly
the
same
black
abyss
yawned
before
him
and
he
felt
himself
sinking
into
it
,
deeper
and
deeper
,
while
his
voice
rambled
on
smoothly
and
cheerfully
:
"
Yes
,
of
course
I
thought
I
'd
lost
the
ring
;
no
wedding
would
be
complete
if
the
poor
devil
of
a
bridegroom
did
n't
go
through
that
.
But
you
DID
keep
me
waiting
,
you
know
!
I
had
time
to
think
of
every
horror
that
might
possibly
happen
.
"
She
surprised
him
by
turning
,
in
full
Fifth
Avenue
,
and
flinging
her
arms
about
his
neck
.
"
But
none
ever
CAN
happen
now
,
can
it
,
Newland
,
as
long
as
we
two
are
together
?
"
Every
detail
of
the
day
had
been
so
carefully
thought
out
that
the
young
couple
,
after
the
wedding-breakfast
,
had
ample
time
to
put
on
their
travelling-clothes
,
descend
the
wide
Mingott
stairs
between
laughing
bridesmaids
and
weeping
parents
,
and
get
into
the
brougham
under
the
traditional
shower
of
rice
and
satin
slippers
;
and
there
was
still
half
an
hour
left
in
which
to
drive
to
the
station
,
buy
the
last
weeklies
at
the
bookstall
with
the
air
of
seasoned
travellers
,
and
settle
themselves
in
the
reserved
compartment
in
which
May
's
maid
had
already
placed
her
dove-coloured
travelling
cloak
and
glaringly
new
dressing-bag
from
London.The
old
du
Lac
aunts
at
Rhinebeck
had
put
their
house
at
the
disposal
of
the
bridal
couple
,
with
a
readiness
inspired
by
the
prospect
of
spending
a
week
in
New
York
with
Mrs.
Archer
;
and
Archer
,
glad
to
escape
the
usual
"
bridal
suite
"
in
a
Philadelphia
or
Baltimore
hotel
,
had
accepted
with
an
equal
alacrity
.
May
was
enchanted
at
the
idea
of
going
to
the
country
,
and
childishly
amused
at
the
vain
efforts
of
the
eight
bridesmaids
to
discover
where
their
mysterious
retreat
was
situated
.
It
was
thought
"
very
English
"
to
have
a
country-house
lent
to
one
,
and
the
fact
gave
a
last
touch
of
distinction
to
what
was
generally
conceded
to
be
the
most
brilliant
wedding
of
the
year
;
but
where
the
house
was
no
one
was
permitted
to
know
,
except
the
parents
of
bride
and
groom
,
who
,
when
taxed
with
the
knowledge
,
pursed
their
lips
and
said
mysteriously
:
"
Ah
,
they
did
n't
tell
us
--
"
which
was
manifestly
true
,
since
there
was
no
need
to.Once
they
were
settled
in
their
compartment
,
and
the
train
,
shaking
off
the
endless
wooden
suburbs
,
had
pushed
out
into
the
pale
landscape
of
spring
,
talk
became
easier
than
Archer
had
expected
.
May
was
still
,
in
look
and
tone
,
the
simple
girl
of
yesterday
,
eager
to
compare
notes
with
him
as
to
the
incidents
of
the
wedding
,
and
discussing
them
as
impartially
as
a
bridesmaid
talking
it
all
over
with
an
usher
.
At
first
Archer
had
fancied
that
this
detachment
was
the
disguise
of
an
inward
tremor
;
but
her
clear
eyes
revealed
only
the
most
tranquil
unawareness
.
She
was
alone
for
the
first
time
with
her
husband
;
but
her
husband
was
only
the
charming
comrade
of
yesterday
.
There
was
no
one
whom
she
liked
as
much
,
no
one
whom
she
trusted
as
completely
,
and
the
culminating
"
lark
"
of
the
whole
delightful
adventure
of
engagement
and
marriage
was
to
be
off
with
him
alone
on
a
journey
,
like
a
grownup
person
,
like
a
"
married
woman
,
"
in
fact.It
was
wonderful
that
--
as
he
had
learned
in
the
Mission
garden
at
St.
