Thus came Rupert Watson to his end.
XLVIII
How the Bells Rang Out at Darrington
It was long past sunrise when I rose on the morning of my wedding-day, for the excitement of the previous night’s adventure and the task of carrying Rupert Watson home had wearied me no little, and I had slept as soundly as a tired dog. When I went downstairs all was bustle and hurry in our house, for various female acquaintances of the family had arrived and were already busied in dressing the brides, which matter seemed likely to be a long operation, judging from the importance they all gave to it. As for Ben Tuckett, he had been up and about for an hour or two, and was busy studying his attire in the mirror when I found him, for he had taken exceeding great pains in making himself fine.
“I thought thou wert going to sleep forever,” said he, as I came behind him. “What, man, ’tis nine o’ the clock now, and we are to start for church at ten. Had we not best be seeing to our horses?”
“Time enough for that, Ben, in an hour. As for my horse, he will not be able to go out. Last night’s work took too much out of him for that.”
“Alack!” said Ben. “I have been dreaming of it all night. Never again shall we see such a sight as that. ’Twas no pleasant matter to be engaged in on the eve of a man’s wedding.”
“Have you told the girls of it?” I inquired.
“Yea, they and I were down here eating our breakfast by seven o’clock and I told them the whole story,” answered Ben. “I feared lest they should hear of it elsewhere. All the guests will be full of it, thou wilt see, when they come hither.”
Then he fell to work smoothing his fine coat and arranging and rearranging his neckcloth, and staring at himself in the mirror, so I left him and went to see that all things were in order for the marriage-feast, which was to be held when we came back from church. Now, we had no room in the house large enough for this, and we had therefore had one of the granaries swept and garnished for the occasion, and there the maids were laying out the feast under the orders of Mistress Deborah, who had come over to give us the benefit of her experience for that day. From the granary I went to the stables, where I found Jacob Trusty, who was busied in decorating all the horses with gay-coloured ribbons. Jacob himself was very fine, for he had gotten himself new garments from the tailor, and wore a hat with a great plume in it, which was extravagance I never knew him guilty of before. Now, I no sooner appeared at the stable door than Jacob seized me by the hand and greeted me warmly, and gave me his fervent blessing, with a wish that I might live long and happily and see my children’s children around me. No more earnest wish had I that day than this of Jacob’s, for he meant every word of it.
“ ’Tis a great day this, lad,” said Jacob, still busied with his ribbons. “I could die happy now that thou art taking thyself a wife. However, let me see thy son before I die. Then shall I have known four generations of Dales. Only one regret have I this day, lad, namely, that thy father and thy mother are not alive to see it.”
“That is all that troubles me, Jacob.”
“We cannot have all we would in this world,” said he. “I doubt not they are better off where they are, lad. Master Benjamin hath been telling me of what ye were at last night. Did I not tell thee, William, long ago, that thy father’s murderers would reap the fruit of their misdeeds? Thou seest how it hath come about. When I spoke our house was full of woe and death; today it is full of joy and life, and Rupert Watson lieth yonder dead, and there is none left of his name. He and his have received ample reward for their sins.”
There was yet another task I had before me ere I returned to the house to receive the guests, who were already arriving. I took a spade and went to the corner of the garden where, many a year before, I had buried the little box containing Philip Lisle’s guinea and the primrose which Rose had given me at my first parting from her. I soon brought the box to light, and opened it and took out the guinea and the flowers, which, because the box was of lead and airtight, were still preserved. There was the primrose which she had given me down in Went Vale, and with it the rose she added to it years after. Faded as they were, I pinned them carefully in my coat, and so went back to the house to look for Ben.
By that time there had already arrived a considerable number of our guests, who were all very gaily attired, and had decorated their horses with ribbons. Now, too, came Jack Drumbleforth, who immediately constituted himself master of the ceremonies, and set to work to marshal everybody into his or her proper place. By the time I had gone round and shaken hands with everybody it was ten o’clock, and time to set out for the church. Then came the brides from their chamber, and all the women ran to see them in the parlour, and Ben and I wanted to see them too, but were prevented by Jack, who vowed that we should not set eyes upon them until they joined us at the altar. So we were forced to be content, and went out to
