* * * * *
Fanny stayed for a week at Beechcote, and at the end of that time Diana
and Mrs. Colwood accompanied her on a Saturday to town, and she was
married, to a sheepish and sulky bridegroom, by special license, at a
Marylebone church--Sir James Chide, in the background, looking on. They
departed for a three days' holiday to Brighton, and on the fourth day
they were due to sail by a West Indian steamer for Barbadoes, where Sir
James had procured for Mr. Frederick Birch a post in the office of a
large sugar estate, in which an old friend of Chide's had an interest.
Fanny showed no rapture in the prospect of thus returning to the bosom
of her family. But there was no help for it.
By what means the transformation scene had been effected it would be
waste of time to inquire. Much to Diana's chagrin, Sir James entirely
declined to allow her to aid in it financially, except so far as
equipping her cousin with clothes went, and providing her with a small
sum for her wedding journey. Personally, he considered that the week
during which Fanny stayed at Beechcote was as much as Diana could be
expected to contribute, and that she had indeed paid the lion's share.
Pages:
577
578
579
580
581
582
583
584
585
586
587
588
589
590
591
592
593
594
595
596
597
598
599
600
601