The Midnight Queen [123]
still wore. The rose satin was discarded
for another of bridal white, perfect of fit, and splendid of
feature. A great gossamer veil like a cloud of silver mist over
all, from head to foot; and Leoline was shown herself in a
mirror, and in the sudden transformation, could have exclaimed,
with the unfortunate lady in bother Goose, shorn of her tresses
when in balmy slumber: "As sure as I'm a little woman, this is
none of it!" But she it was, nevertheless, who stood listening
like one in a trance, to the enthusiastic praises of her
waiting-maid.
Again there was a tap at the door. This time the attendant
opened it, and George reappeared. Even he stood for a moment
looking at the silver-shining vision, and so lost in admiration,
that he almost forgot his message. But when Leoline turned the
light of her beautiful eyes inquiringly upon him, he managed to
remember it, and announced that he had been sent by the king to
usher her to the royal presence.
With a feet-throbbing heart, flushed cheeks, and brilliant eyes,
the dazzling bride followed him, unconscious that she had never
looked so incomparably before in her life. It was but a few
hours since she had dressed for another bridal; and what
wonderful things had occurred since then - her whole destiny had
changed in a night. Not quite sure yet but that she was still
dreaming, she followed on - saw George throw open the great doors
of the audience-chamber, and found herself suddenly in what
seemed to her a vast concourse of people. At the upper end of
the apartment was s brilliant group of ladies, with the king's
beautiful favorite in their midst, gossiping with knots of
gentlemen. The king himself stood in the recess of a window,
with his brother, the Duke of York, the Earl of Rochester, and
Sir Norman Kingsley, and was laughing and relating animatedly to
the two peers the whole story. Leoline noticed this, and
noticed, too, that all wore traveling dresses - most of the
ladies, indeed, being attired in riding-habits.
The king himself advanced to her rescue, and drawing her arm
within his, he led her up and presented her to the fair Mistress
Stuart, who received her with smiling graciousness though
Leoline, all unused to court ways, and aware of the lovely lady's
questionable position, returned it almost with cold hauteur.
Charles being in an unusually gracious mood, only smiled as he
noticed it, and introduced her next to his brother of York, and
her former short acquaintance, Rochester.
"There's no need, I presume, to make you acquainted with this
other gentleman, sand Charles, with s laughing glance at Sir
Norman. "Kingsley, stand forward and receive your bride. My
Lord of Canterbury, we await your good offices."
The bland bishop, in surplice and stole, and book in hand,
stepped from a distant group, and advanced. Sir Norman, with a
flush on his cheek, and an exultant light in his eyes, took the
hand of his beautiful bride who stood lovely, and blushing, and
downcast, the envy and admiration of all. And
"Before the bishop now they stand,
The bridegroom and the bride;
And who shall paint what lovers feel
In this, their hour of pride?"
Who indeed? Like many other pleasant things is this world, it
requires to be felt to be appreciated; and, for that reason, it
is a subject on which the unworthy chronicler is altogether
incompetent to speak. The first words of the ceremony dropped
from the prelate's urbane lips, and Sir Norman's heart danced a
tarantella within him. "Wilt thou?" inquired the bishop,
blandly, and slipped a plain gold ring on one pretty finger of
Leoline's hand and all heard the old, old formula: "What God
hath joined together, let no man put asunder!" And the whole
mystic rite was over.
Leoline gave one earnest glance at the ring on her finger. Long
for another of bridal white, perfect of fit, and splendid of
feature. A great gossamer veil like a cloud of silver mist over
all, from head to foot; and Leoline was shown herself in a
mirror, and in the sudden transformation, could have exclaimed,
with the unfortunate lady in bother Goose, shorn of her tresses
when in balmy slumber: "As sure as I'm a little woman, this is
none of it!" But she it was, nevertheless, who stood listening
like one in a trance, to the enthusiastic praises of her
waiting-maid.
Again there was a tap at the door. This time the attendant
opened it, and George reappeared. Even he stood for a moment
looking at the silver-shining vision, and so lost in admiration,
that he almost forgot his message. But when Leoline turned the
light of her beautiful eyes inquiringly upon him, he managed to
remember it, and announced that he had been sent by the king to
usher her to the royal presence.
With a feet-throbbing heart, flushed cheeks, and brilliant eyes,
the dazzling bride followed him, unconscious that she had never
looked so incomparably before in her life. It was but a few
hours since she had dressed for another bridal; and what
wonderful things had occurred since then - her whole destiny had
changed in a night. Not quite sure yet but that she was still
dreaming, she followed on - saw George throw open the great doors
of the audience-chamber, and found herself suddenly in what
seemed to her a vast concourse of people. At the upper end of
the apartment was s brilliant group of ladies, with the king's
beautiful favorite in their midst, gossiping with knots of
gentlemen. The king himself stood in the recess of a window,
with his brother, the Duke of York, the Earl of Rochester, and
Sir Norman Kingsley, and was laughing and relating animatedly to
the two peers the whole story. Leoline noticed this, and
noticed, too, that all wore traveling dresses - most of the
ladies, indeed, being attired in riding-habits.
The king himself advanced to her rescue, and drawing her arm
within his, he led her up and presented her to the fair Mistress
Stuart, who received her with smiling graciousness though
Leoline, all unused to court ways, and aware of the lovely lady's
questionable position, returned it almost with cold hauteur.
Charles being in an unusually gracious mood, only smiled as he
noticed it, and introduced her next to his brother of York, and
her former short acquaintance, Rochester.
"There's no need, I presume, to make you acquainted with this
other gentleman, sand Charles, with s laughing glance at Sir
Norman. "Kingsley, stand forward and receive your bride. My
Lord of Canterbury, we await your good offices."
The bland bishop, in surplice and stole, and book in hand,
stepped from a distant group, and advanced. Sir Norman, with a
flush on his cheek, and an exultant light in his eyes, took the
hand of his beautiful bride who stood lovely, and blushing, and
downcast, the envy and admiration of all. And
"Before the bishop now they stand,
The bridegroom and the bride;
And who shall paint what lovers feel
In this, their hour of pride?"
Who indeed? Like many other pleasant things is this world, it
requires to be felt to be appreciated; and, for that reason, it
is a subject on which the unworthy chronicler is altogether
incompetent to speak. The first words of the ceremony dropped
from the prelate's urbane lips, and Sir Norman's heart danced a
tarantella within him. "Wilt thou?" inquired the bishop,
blandly, and slipped a plain gold ring on one pretty finger of
Leoline's hand and all heard the old, old formula: "What God
hath joined together, let no man put asunder!" And the whole
mystic rite was over.
Leoline gave one earnest glance at the ring on her finger. Long