Colonel Le Noir then went and spoke apart to the officiating priest,
saying, in a tone of dissatisfaction: "I told you, sir, that as our bride was an orphan, recently bereaved,
and still in deep mourning, we wished the marriage ceremony to be
strictly private, and you gave me to understand, sir, that at this hour
the chapel was most likely to be vacant. Yet, here I find a half a
score of people! How is this?"
"Sir," replied the priest, "it is true that at this hour of the evening
the chapel is most likely to be vacant, but it is not therefore certain
to be so! nor did I promise as much! Our chapel is, as you know, open
at all hours of the day and night, that all who please may come and
pray. These people that you see are hard-working farm laborers, who
have no time to come in the day, and who are now here to offer up their
evening prayers, and also, some of them, to examine their consciences
preparatory to confession! They can certainly be no interruption to
this ceremony."
"Egad, I don't know that!" muttered Colonel Le Noir between his teeth.
As for Cap, the sight of other persons present in the chapel filled her
heart with joy and exultation, inasmuch as it insured her final safety.
And so she just abandoned herself to the spirit of frolic that
possessed her, and anticipated with the keenest relish the dénouement
of her strange adventure.
"Well, what are we waiting for? Proceed, sir, proceed!" said Colonel Le
Noir as he took Cap by the shoulders and placed her on the left side of
his son, while he himself stood behind ready to "give the bride away."
The ceremony immediately commenced.
The prologue beginning, "Dearly beloved, we are gathered together
here," etc., etc., etc., was read.
The solemn exhortation to the contracting parties, commencing "I
require and charge ye both, as ye shall answer in the dreadful day of
judgment when the secrets of all hearts shall be disclosed, that if
either of you know any just cause or impediment why ye may not lawfully
be joined together," etc., etc., etc., followed.
Capitola listened to all this with the deepest attention, saying to
herself: "Well, I declare, this getting married is really awfully
interesting! If it were not for Herbert Greyson, I'd just let it go
right straight on to the end and see what would happen next!"
While Cap was making these mental comments the priest was asking the
bridegroom: "Wilt thou have this woman to be thy wedded wife," etc., etc., etc.,
"so long as ye both shall live?"