“No, sir!”

“Pledge me your word of honor, now, that if I buy this little farm of Locust Hill, and settle it upon your mother, you will marry Dr. Grimshaw on this coming Christmas Eve?”

“I pledge you my word of honor that I will”

“Without mental reservation?”

“Without mental reservation!”

“Stop! it is safer to seal such a pledge!  Climb up on the stand, and hand me that Bible down off the top shelf.  Brush the cobwebs off it, and don’t let the spiders come with it.”

Jacquelina did as she was bid, with a half indifferent, half disdainful air.

“There!  Now lay your hand upon this book, and swear by the Holy Evangelists of Almighty God that you will do as you have pledged yourself to do.”

“I swear,” said Jacquelina.

“Very well!  Now, confound you! you may put the book back again, and go about your business.”

Sans Souci very willingly complied.  And then, as she left the room and closed the door after her, her quick ear caught the sound of the commodore’s voice, chuckling: 

“So!  I’ve trapped you!  Ten minutes more, and it would have been impossible.”

Full of wonder as to what his words might mean, doubting also whether she had heard them aright, Jacquelina was hastening on toward her mother’s room, when she met her Aunt Henrietta hurrying toward her, and speaking impetuously.

“Oh, my little Lapwing! where have you been?  I have been looking for you all over the house!  Good news, dear Lapwing!  Good news!  Deliverance is at hand for you!  Who do you think has come?”

“Who?  Who?” questioned Sans Souci, eagerly.

“Cloudy!”

“Lost! lost!” cried the wretched girl; and, with a wild shriek that rang through all the house, she threw up her arms and fell forward to the ground.

The marriage was appointed to take place Christmas Day.  Jacquelina suffered her mother to dress her in bridal array.  Dr. Grimshaw was waiting for her in the hall.

As soon as she reached the foot of the stairs, he took her hand; and, pressing it, whispered: 

“Sweet girl, forgive me this persistence!”

“May God never forgive me if I do!” she fiercely exclaimed, transfixing him with a flashing glance.

Never lover uttered a deeper sigh than that which Dr. Grimshaw gave forth as he led his unwilling bride to the carriage.  The groomsman followed with the bridesmaid.  The commodore and Mary L’Oiseau accompanied the party in a gig.  Henrietta, true to her word, refused to be present at the marriage.

When the wedding party arrived at the chapel, all the pews were filled to suffocation with the crowd that the rumor of the approaching marriage had drawn together.  And the bridal party were the cynosure of many hundred eyes as they passed up the aisle and stood before the altar.

The ceremony proceeded.  But not one response, either verbally or mentally, did Jacquelina make.  The priest passed over her silence, naturally ascribing it to bashfulness, and honestly taking her consent for granted.