coat,
light grey trousers, and white silk necktie, meant business, too. It
would never do for little Marjorie to be three times a bridesmaid, for
that was unlucky; so Miss MacPhun stood by Marjorie the greater, and
Bangs helped Coristine to his feet. The two divines mercifully made the
service brief, and two well mated souls obtained each its chief desire.
Mr. Errol and the Squire were very patronizing towards their new made
son and nephew. The Captain was satisfied. "I thought all along it was
that sly dog Will-kiss-em was after the old man's niece, the sly dog;
but he's off, and a good riddance to poor stuck-up rubbish, say I." The
table speeches were marvellous. Dr. MacPhun exhausted Dean Ramsay's
anecdotes, Mr. Bigglethorpe allegorized marriage as fishing in all its
branches, Doctor Halbert said the great trouble with female nurses
always was that they would go and marry their patients, and Mr. Bangs
remarked that, if he could run down somebody who was wanted as quickly
as Mr. Douglas had done, he would make his fortune. Mr. Lamb lavished
himself on Maggie MacPhun, and, as she was young, semi-rural, and unused
to the masculine production of cities, his attentions were agreeable,
much to his satisfaction; his peace of mind with himself nothing could
disturb.

In the evening, Mr. Errol put on his gown once more, and Dr. MacPhun
stood by his side, while in front of them there was a small table on
which lay a Bible, and, a short distance off, a larger one with a
marriage register, pen and ink, and duly filled certificates. At a given
signal, Mr. Hill appeared, leading his daughter Tryphena, followed by
Christie Hislop and Malvina McGlashan. Next came Sylvanus in the grasp
of Saul Pilgrim, attended by Rufus, and the ubiquitous Mr. Bangs.
Without being asked, Mr. Pilgrim senior ostentatiously stated, after Mr.
Hill had bestowed his oldest daughter, that he gave his son to be that
woman's husband, and trusted they would bring up their family, as he had
done his, in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. This bombshell
excited some merriment in the rear of the procession, where Mrs. Rigby
was pushing the corporal forward to exhibit his uniform and medals. When
the ceremony was over, the bride and bridegroom remained, but the
fathers and the assistants returned to the kitchen. Tryphosa now hung
upon her father's arm, and Timotheus was hauled in by Saul, receiving
admonitions on the way. The groomsmen and bridesmaids were as