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The Story of Wild Will Enderby

Chapter XIV. "She Paceth Forth in Virgin White."

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Chapter XIV. "She Paceth Forth in Virgin White."

So it happened that on May-day, Mabel Grey and William Enderby took each the other 'to have and to old, from that day forward, for better for worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and cherish till death doth them part, according to God's holy ordinance.'

Nor they alone. For about a month before the marriage, Lizzie, the housemaid, intimated to her mistress that she wished—no she did not wish—but she would 'have to leave.'

"Dear me, Lizzie!" said Mrs. Grey, who knew the value and the scarcity of good servants in the colony; "why are you leaving? are you dissatisfied with anything?"

"Oh, no, ma'am," quoth Lizzie, playing with the corner of her apron, and smirking very much. "Tain't that. I'm sure I never were more comfortable in any place. Only as my young man wants me to marry him, which he's very respectable and drives a car, and as Miss Mabel's agoin' to be married come next May, I thought as how I couldn't do better than get married at the same time, ma'am, if you got no objections."

page 259

"I cannot have any objections, Lizzie, but I wish you could defer it. It will be rather inconvenient just then."

"Well, ma'am," protested Lizzie, "Once bit, twice shy, and I've been done once afore. And as my young man have ast me, I shoudln't like to put it off. He mightn't come up to the scratch again, you know, ma'am."

Lizzie's logic was unanswerable. Even cautious Janet signified her approval.

"It's the maist douce-like thing I ever kent ye dae, lassie," she said, "for there's nae trustin' thae menfolk. Here the day, an' awa' the morn,—aye skelpin' owre the kintra frae Dan to Beersheby, an' makin' luve in the lug o' ilka feckless taupie they fa' in wi."

So Lizzie achieved her purpose, and was married to her 'young man' on the same day, at the same church, by the same parson, as her young mistress and 'Master Will,'—a feat of which she has not ceased to boast even until this day. And the joy in the drawing-room was echoed by the mirth in the kitchen; and when shoes were thrown for good luck, be sure that Lizzie had her share also.