CHAPTER XXV

ththeclergy,etc.,and,ifpossible,toseesomethingofthelocallife.Itwasamarket-town—astinyaoneasEnglandpossesses—andhadforagesservedthatlonelyvalley,andguardedourmarchesagainsttheCelt.Inspiteoftheoccasion,inspiteofthenumbinghilaritythatgreetedherassoonasshegotintothereservedsaloonatPaddington,hersenseswereawakeandwatching,andthoughOnitonwastoproveoneofherinnumerablefalsestarts,sheneverforgotit,orthethingsthathappenedthere. TheLondonpartyonlynumberedeight—theFussells,fatherandson,twoAnglo-IndianladiesnamedMrs.PlynlimmonandLadyEdser,Mrs.WarringtonWilcoxandherdaughter,and,lastly,thelittlegirl,verysmartandquiet,whofiguresatsomanyweddings,andwhokeptawatchfuleyeonMargaret,thebride-elect.Dollywasabsent—adomesticeventdetainedheratHiltonPaulhadcabledahumorousmessageCharleswastomeetthemwithatrioofmotorsatShrewsburyHelenhadrefusedherinvitationTibbyhadneveransweredhis.Themanagementwasexcellent,aswastobeexpectedwithanythingthatHenryundertookonewasconsciousofhissensibleandgenerousbraininthebackground.Theywerehisguestsassoonastheyreachedthetrainaspeciallabelfortheirluggageacourieraspeciallunchtheyhadonlytolookpleasantand,wherepossible,pretty.Margaretthoughtwithdismayofherownnuptials—presumablyunderthemanagementofTibby.“Mr.TheobaldSchlegelandMissHelenSchlegelrequestthepleasureofMrs.Plynlimmon’scompanyontheoccasionofthemarriageoftheirsisterMargaret.”Theformulawasincredible,butitmustsoonbeprintedandsent,andthoughWickhamPlaceneednotcompetewithOniton,itmustfeeditsguestsproperly,andprovidethemwithsufficientchairs.Herweddingwouldeitherberamshacklyorbourgeois—shehopedthelatter.Suchanaffairasthepresent,stagedwithadeftnessthatwasalmostbeautiful,laybeyondherpowersandthoseofherfriends. ThelowrichpurrofaGreatWesternexpressisnottheworstbackgroundforconversation,andthejourneypassedpleasantlyenough.Nothingcouldhaveexceededthekindnessofthetwomen.Theyraisedwindowsforsomeladies,andloweredthemforothers,theyrangthebellfortheservant,theyidentifiedthecollegesasthetrainslippedpastOxford,theycaughtbooksorbag-pursesintheactoftumblingontothefloor.Yettherewasnothingfinickingabouttheirpoliteness—ithadthepublic-schooltouch,and,thoughsedulous,wasvirile.MorebattlesthanWaterloohavebeenwononourplaying-fields,andMargaretbowedtoacharmofwhichshedidnotwhollyapprove,andsaidnothingwhentheOxfordcollegeswereidentifiedwrongly.“MaleandfemalecreatedHethem”thejourneytoShrewsburyconfirmedthisquestionablestatement,andthelongglasssaloon,thatmovedsoeasilyandfeltsocomfortable,becameaforcing-housefortheideaofsex. AtShrewsburycamefreshair.Margaretwasallforsight-seeing,andwhiletheotherswerefinishingtheirteaattheRaven,sheannexedamotorandhurriedovertheastonishingcity.HerchauffeurwasnotthefaithfulCrane,butanItalian,whodearlylovedmakingherlate.Charles,watchinhand,thoughwithalevelbrow,wasstandinginfrontofthehotelwhentheyreturned.Itwasperfectlyallright,hetoldhershewasbynomeansthelast.Andthenhedivedintothecoffee-room,andsheheardhimsay,“ForGod’ssake,hurrythewomenupweshallneverbeoff,”andAlbertFussellreply,“NotII’vedonemyshare,”andColonelFussellopinethattheladiesweregettingthemselvesuptokill.PresentlyMyra(Mrs.Warrington’sdaughter)appeared,andasshewashiscousin,Charlesblewherupalittleshehadbeenchanginghersmarttravellinghatforasmartmotorhat.ThenMrs.Warringtonherself,leadingthequietchildthetwo