CHAPTER XVII.
"Benedict the married man." --_Shakspeare_.
Violet's wedding-day was drawing near and Edward had not been heard from,still they hoped he was on his way home and would yet arrive in season.Each day they looked for a telegram saying what train would bring him totheir city, but none came.
Edward had not written because a letter would travel no faster thanthemselves, and did not telegraph because so little could be said in thatway. All things considered, it seemed as well to take his mother and therest entirely by surprise.
He had no fear that his little wife would meet with other than a kindreception, astounded as doubtless they would be to learn that he had one.But he would have the surprise come upon them all at home, where nostranger eye would witness the meeting; therefore sent no warning of hiscoming lest some one of them should meet him at the depot.
Yet the first object that met his eye on turning about from assisting Zoeto alight from the train, was the Ion family carriage, with Solon standingat the horses' heads.
"Ki! Marse Ed'ard, you's here sho nuff!" cried the man, grinning withsatisfaction.
"Yes, Solon," Edward said, shaking hands with him. "Who came in with you?"
"Nobody, sah. You wasn't spected particular, kase you didn't send no word.But Miss Elsie tole me fotch de kerridge anyhow, an' mebbe you mout behere."
"So I am, Solon, and my wife with me," presenting Zoe, who timidly heldout her little gloved hand.
Solon took it respectfully, gazing at her in wide-eyed and open-mouthedwonder. "Ki! Marse Ed'ard, you don' say you's ben an' gwine an' gotmarried! Why dere's weddin's an' weddin's in de family!"
"So it seems, Solon," laughed Edward, putting Zoe into the carriage andtaking his place beside her, "but as I am older than Miss Vi, my turnshould come before hers. All well at Ion?"
"Yes, sah, an' mighty busy wid de necessary preparations for Miss Wilet'sweddin'."
"What an elegant, comfortable, easy-rolling carriage!" remarked Zoe,leaning back against the cushions, "it's a pleasant change from the cars."
"I am glad you find it so, dear," Edward responded, gazing upon her withfond, admiring eyes.
"Yes, but--O Edward, how will I be received?" she cried, creeping closerto him and leaning her head on his shoulder. "I can hardly help wishing Icould just be alone with you always."
"Don't be afraid, dearest," he said, putting his arm round her and kissingher tenderly again and again. "When you know them all you will be very farfrom wishing that."
The whole family were gathered upon the veranda when the carriage droveup. As it stopped, the door was thrown open, and Edward sprang out. Therewas a general exclamation, of surprise and delight, a simultaneousspringing forward to give him an affectionate, joyous greeting; then awondering murmur and exchange of inquiring glances, as he turned to handout a slight girlish figure, and drawing her hand within his arm, came upthe veranda steps.
Elsie stood nearest of all the waiting group, heart and eyes full ofjoyous emotion at sight of the handsome face and manly form so like hisfather's.
"Darling mother!" he exclaimed, throwing his free arm about her and givingher an ardent kiss. Then drawing forward the blushing, trembling Zoe. "Mylittle wife, mother dear you will love her now for my sake, and soon forher own. She is all ours--alone in the world but for us."
Before the last words had left his lips Zoe felt herself folded in atender embrace, while the sweetest of voices said, "Dear child! you arealone no longer. I will be a true mother to you--my Edward's wife--and youshall be one of my dear daughters."
A gentle, loving kiss accompanied the words, and all Zoe's fears were putto flight; glad tears rained down her cheeks as she clung about the neckof her new-found mother.
"Oh, I love you already," she sobbed.
Mrs. Dinsmore next embraced the little bride with a kind, "Welcome to Ion,my dear."
Then Mr. Dinsmore took her in his arms, saying, with a kiss and a look ofkeen but kindly scrutiny into the blushing face, "Edward has given us asurprise, but a very pretty and pleasant-looking one. I am your grandpa,my dear."
"Oh, I am glad! I never had a grandpa before. But you hardly look oldenough, sir," she said, smiling, while the blush deepened on her cheek.
The others crowded round; each had a kiss and kind word of welcome for heras well as for Edward.
Then the news of the arrival having spread through the house, the servantscame flocking about them, eager to see and shake hands with "Marse Ed'ard"and his bride.
Zoe went through it all with easy grace, but Elsie noted that her cheekwas paling and her figure drooping with weariness.
"She is tired, Edward; we will take her to your apartments, where she canlie down and rest," she said. "All this excitement is very trying afterher long and fatiguing journey. You both should have some refreshment too.What shall it be?"
"Thank you, mamma; I will consult her when I get her up there, then ringand order it," Edward said, putting his arm round Zoe's waist and halfcarrying her up the stairs, his mother leading the way.
"There, Zoe, what think you of your husband's bachelor quarters?" he askedgayly, as he deposited her in an easy-chair, took off her hat, and stoodlooking fondly down at her, Elsie on the other side, looking at her toowith affectionate interest.
"Oh, lovely!" cried Zoe, glancing about upon her luxurious surroundings."I am sure I shall be very happy here with you, Edward," with a fond lookup into his face; then turning toward Elsie, she added timidly, "and thissweet mother."
"That is right, dear child," Elsie said, bending down to kiss her again,"call me mother or mamma, as Edward does, and never doubt your welcome tomy heart and home. Now I shall leave you to rest, and Edward must see thatall your wants are supplied."
"O Edward, how sweet, how dear, and how beautiful she is!" cried Zoe, asthe door closed on her mother-in-law.
"Just as I told you, love," he said, caressing her. "She takes you to herheart and home without even waiting to inquire how I came to marry inhaste without her knowledge or approval."
"Or asking who I am or where I came from. But you will tell her everythingas soon as you can?"
"Yes; I shall wait only long enough to see you eat something and lyingdown for a nap, so that you will not miss me while I have my talk withher."
Zoe, in this her first appearance among them, had produced a favorableimpression upon all her new relatives; but the uppermost feeling witheach, from the grandfather down, was one of profound astonishment thatEdward had taken so serious a step without consulting those to whom he hadhitherto yielded a respectful and loving obedience.
Elsie could not fail to be pained to find her dearly loved father andherself so treated by one of her cherished darlings, yet tried to put thefeeling aside and suspend her judgment until Edward had been given anopportunity to explain.
The younger children gathered about her, with eager questioning as sherejoined them in the veranda.
"I can tell you nothing yet, dears," she answered in her accustomed sweetand gentle tones, "but no doubt we shall know all about it soon. I thinkshe is a dear little girl whom we shall all find it easy to love. We willdo all we can to make her happy and at home among us, shall we not?"
"Yes, mamma, yes indeed!" they all said.
Mr. Dinsmore rose, and motioning to his wife and daughter to follow himwent to the library.
Elsie read grave displeasure in his countenance before he opened his lips.
"Dear papa, do not be angry with my boy," she said pleadingly, going tohim where he stood, and putting her arms about his neck. "Shall we notwait until we have heard his story?"
"I shall try to suspend my judgment for your sake, daughter," Mr. Dinsmoreanswered, stroking her hair caressingly, "but I cannot help feeling thatEdward seems to have strangely failed in the loving respect and obediencehe should have shown to such a mother as his. He has taken very promptadvantage of his arrival at his majority."
"Yet perhaps with good reason, papa," s
he returned, still beseechingly,her eyes filling with tears.
"We will not condemn him unheard," he answered, his tones softening, "andif he has made a mistake by reason of failing to seek the advice andapproval of those who so truly desire his happiness, it is he himself whomust be the greatest sufferer thereby."
"Yes," she returned with a sigh, "even a mother's love is powerless tosave her children from the consequences of their own follies and sins."
Edward, scarcely less desirous to make his explanation than his mother wasto hear it, hastened in search of her the moment he had seen Zoecomfortably established upon a sofa in his dressing-room.
He found her in the library with his grandfather evidently awaiting hiscoming. They were seated together upon a sofa.
"Dearest mother," Edward said, dropping upon his knees by her side andclasping her in his arms, "how can I ever thank you enough for yourkindness this day to me and my darling! I fear I must seem to you andgrandpa an ungrateful wretch; but when you know all, you will not, Itrust, blame me quite so severely."
"We are not blaming you, my dear boy, we are waiting to hear first whatyou have to say for yourself," Elsie answered, laying her hand fondly uponhis head. "Sit here by my side while you tell it," she added, making roomfor him on the sofa.
He made his story brief, yet kept nothing back.
His hearers were deeply moved as he repeated what Mr. Love had told him ofthe lonely and forlorn condition in which he must leave his petted onlychild, and went on to describe the hasty marriage and the death scene, soimmediately following. Their kind hearts yearned over the little orphanedbride, and they exonerated Edward from all blame for the part he acted inthe short, sad drama.
"Cherish her tenderly, my dear boy," his mother said, with tears in hersoft eyes, "you are all, everything to her, and must never let her wantfor love or tenderest care."
"Mother," he answered in moved tones, "I shall try to be to my little wifejust the husband my father was to you."
"That is all any one could ask, my son," she returned, the tears coursingdown her cheeks.
"Do not expect too much of her, Edward," Mr. Dinsmore said. "She is amere child, a petted and spoiled one, I presume, from what you have toldus, and if she should prove wayward and at times unreasonable, be verypatient and forbearing with her."
"I trust I shall, grandpa," he answered. "I cannot expect her to be quitethe woman she would have made under my mother's training; but she is youngenough to profit by mamma's sweet teachings and example even yet. I findher very docile and teachable, very affectionate, and desirous to be anddo all I would have her."
Zoe came down for the evening simply but tastefully attired in white,looking very sweet and fair. She was evidently disposed to be on friendlyterms with her new relatives, yet clung with a pretty sort of shyness toher young husband, who perceived it with delight, regarding her ever andanon with fond, admiring eyes.
It excited no jealousy in mother or sisters. Such an emotion was quiteforeign to Elsie's nature and found small place in the heart of any one ofher children.
Violet, spite of the near approach of her own nuptials, was sufficientlyat leisure from herself to give time and thought to this new sister,making her feel that she was so esteemed, and winning for herself a largeplace in Zoe's heart.
Indeed all exerted themselves to make Zoe fully aware that they consideredher quite one of the family. That very evening she was taken with Edwardto Vi's room to look at the trousseau, told of all the arrangements forthe wedding and the summer sojourn at the North, and made the recipient ofmany handsome presents from Mr. and Mrs. Dinsmore, Elsie, and Violet.
But for her recent sad bereavement she would have been a very happy littlewoman indeed. As it was she was bright and cheerful when with the family,but had occasional paroxysms of grief when alone with Edward, in which shewept bitterly upon his breast, he soothing her with tenderest caresses andwords of endearment.
Violet's wedding was strictly private, only near relatives being present;but in accordance with the wishes of the whole family, she was richlyattired in white silk, orange blossoms, and costly bridal veil.
Zoe, leaning on Edward's arm, watched her through the ceremony withadmiring eyes, more than half regretting that the haste of her ownmarriage had precluded the possibility of so rich and becoming a bridaldress for herself--a thought which she afterward expressed to Edward inthe privacy of their own apartments. "Never mind, my sweet," he said,holding her close to his heart "I couldn't love you any better if you hadgiven yourself to me in the grandest of wedding-dresses."
"How nice in you to say that!" she exclaimed, laying her head on hisbreast and gazing fondly up into his face. "Didn't Captain Raymond lookhandsome in his uniform?"
"Yes, indeed; don't you think I have as much reason to envy his appearanceas a groom as you Vi's as a bride?"
"No, indeed!" she cried indignantly, "he's not half so nice as you are! Iwouldn't exchange with her for all the world!"
"Thank you; that's a very high compliment, I think; for I greatly admiremy new brother-in-law," Edward said, with a gleeful laugh, and repeatinghis caresses.
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