The little church was better filled
than it had been for many a long year past.
The presence of the stylish crowd unnerved the ancient clergyman,
long unaccustomed to the sight of a strange face, and the first
sound of the ancient clergyman's voice unnerved the stylish crowd.
What little articulation he possessed entirely disappeared, no one
could understand a word he said. He appeared to be uttering sounds
of distress. The ancient gentleman's infliction had to be
explained in low asides, and it also had to be explained why such
an one had been chosen to perform the ceremony.
"It was a whim of Clementina's," whispered her mother. "Her father
and myself were married from here, and he christened her. The dear
child's full of sentiment. I think it so nice of her."
Everybody agreed it was charming, but wished it were over. The
general effect was weird in the extreme.
Lord C- spoke up fairly well, but the bride's responses were
singularly indistinct, the usual order of things being thus
reversed. The story of the naval lieutenant was remembered, and
added to, and some of the more sentimental of the women began to
cry in sympathy.
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