For the
rest, there was nothing to cause delay. I cancelled Sir Robert's debt
to me and signed a deed in favour of his daughter and her offspring,
whereof I gave a copy to his lawyer and there was nought else to be done
except to prepare my house for her which, with money at command, was
easy.
No great business was made of this marriage, since neither his kin nor
Sir Robert himself wished to noise it about that his only child, the
last of his House, was taking a merchant for her husband to save her and
him from wreck. Nor did I, the merchant, wish to provoke talk amongst
those of my own station, especially as it was known that I had advanced
moneys to these fine folks of the Court. So it came about that few were
asked to the ceremony that was fixed for an early hour, and of these
not many came, because on that day, although it was but October, a great
gale with storms of rain began to blow, the greatest indeed that I had
known in my life.
Thus it chanced that we were wed in an almost empty church while the
fierce wind, thundering against the windows, overcame the feeble voice
of the old priest, so that he looked like one acting in a show without
words.
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