The Blythes Are Quoted (47 page)

“I’ve always loved D’Arcy ... he isn’t rich but they won’t be any poorer than Jim and I when we started out ... and Evie’s a famous little cook and manager, thanks to dear Mary. It seems like yesterday that we had Evie’s coming-out tea ... how sweet she was ... everybody said so ... just shy enough to really seem like a bud ... as they called them then.

“Patricia Miller and that artist son of hers are here after all. I do hope he won’t be annoyed because we didn’t hang the picture he sent as a gift. But nobody could really tell which side was up ... they do paint such extraordinary pictures nowadays.

“I hope the reception will go off nicely ... I hope nobody will notice the worn place in the hall carpet. And I hope the bills won’t be too terrible. It was sweet of the Blythes to give us the mums ... but I didn’t want all those roses in the reception room. But Jim was so determined his daughter should have a nice wedding. Dear Jim, he’s always worshipped his girls. We’ve been very happy, he and I, though we’ve had our ups and downs ... even our quarrels. They say Dr. Blythe and his wife have never had a single quarrel ... but I don’t believe
that
. Tiffs, anyhow. Everyone does.

“He’s pronouncing them man and wife ... I won’t cry ...
I won’t
. It’s bad enough to see Jim with tears in his eyes. I suppose people will think I’ve no feeling ...”

The mother of the groom, calmly reflecting,

“My darling boy! How well he looks! I don’t know if she is just the one I would have chosen for him ... she’s been brought up as a rich man’s daughter ... but if he is happy what does it matter? Susan Baker told me Mary Hamilton told her there was nothing she couldn’t do. If his dear father could have lived to see this day! I’m glad I decided on that Dutch walnut design in the dining room for my present. I had only one bridesmaid when I was married ... she wore a picture hat of white lace, with a dropping brim. Diana Blythe is the prettiest of all the bridesmaids. D’Arcy is kissing his wife ...
his wife
... how strange that sounds! My little baby married! She has a sweet face ... she
does
love him ... I feel sure of that ... in spite of that engagement to Elmer Owen. There was something I didn’t understand ... I never will, I suppose ... but D’Arcy seemed quite satisfied about it, so I’m sure it’s all right. Oh, what would the world be without youth? And yet it passes so quickly. We are old before we know it. We never believe it ... and then some day we wake up and discover we are old. Ah me! But D’Arcy is happy ... that is all that matters now. And I believe it will last. Strange how they used to quarrel, though ... ever since the Marches began coming to Glen St. Mary, long before they built Merestead. D’Arcy’s father and I never quarrelled. But then we didn’t meet till we were grown up ... and it was love at first sight. Things
are
different nowadays, let them say what they will. I have no son now ... but if he is happy ...”

The father of the bride, thinking,

“My little girl looks very beautiful. A trifle pale ... but I never like a made-up bride. Thank heaven, decent skirts are in again. It doesn’t seem long since Amy and I were standing like that. Evie isn’t so pretty a bride as her mother was, after all. That dress becomes Amy ... she looks as young as any of them ... a wonderful woman. If I had to choose over again I’d make the same choice. There’s no one I could compare her to. I suppose we’ll soon have to face the loss of Marnie, too. Well, mother and I were alone once and I guess we can stand being alone again. Only ... we were young then ... that makes all the difference. But if the girls are happy ...”

The best man, thinking,

“You’ll never see me in a scrape like this ... though that little bridesmaid
is
cute ... slant eyes like a fairy’s ... twinkling like a little dark star ... but he travels the fastest who travels alone. The Blythe bridesmaid is a bit of a beauty ... but they tell me she’s bespoken. Bride looks a bit icy ... rather like a cool white nun. Wonder why D’Arcy’s so goofy about her. Seems to me I’ve heard something about another engagement. Hope he’s not just a consolation prize. The gods grant my shoes don’t creak when I’m going down the aisle like Hal Crowder’s did ... and that I won’t drop the wedding ring like Joe Raynor ... it rolled to the very feet of the girl the groom had jilted. They’ve done the decorations rather well for a country church.

“It’s over ... D’Arcy’s sewed up ... poor D’Arcy!”

Marnie March, the maid of honour, thinking,

“How lonesome it’s going to be without darling Evie! She’s always been so sweet to me. But I’ll have Elmer and that means all the world. I
can’t
understand how Evelyn could ever have preferred D’Arcy to him, but how thankful I am she did. I wish he wasn’t so rich ... people will say I’m marrying him for his money. Why, I’d jump at him if he hadn’t a cent in his pocket. D’Arcy’s a good egg. I think I’ll like him for a brother-in-law ... though I never could bear the way he laughs. He sounds so sneery. But I don’t think he means it. I wish Elmer could see me now. This periwinkle blue becomes me. Not so well as it does Diana Blythe, though. It needs hair of a different shade than mine. I wonder if she really is engaged to that Austin boy ... and if she loves him as I love Elmer. No,
that
is impossible.

“Oh, it’s dreadful ... and wonderful ... and heavenly to love anyone as I love Elmer. We Marches care so horribly when we do care! Those awful weeks when I thought he was going to marry Evie! And to think I ever called him a magazine-ad man! Oh, I hope I won’t get any fatter! I’ll take nothing but orange juice for breakfast after this. That
must
make some difference. Yet those Blythe girls eat anything they like and they are always as slim as a reed. It must be predestination.

“What a bombshell it would be if Elmer and I were getting married today, too, as he wanted. Of course it would never have done ... people would have talked their heads off ... it’s queer we can never do anything we really want to in this world for fear of what people will say! But anyway I wanted to catch my breath after finding myself engaged to him. We won’t have a fuss like this anyway ... I’m determined on that. Oh, how frightfully solemn the service is! ‘Until death do us part.’ We’ll
mean
it. Does that make me thrill! Oh, Elmer!”

The groom, thinking,

“Will she really come after the beastly way I’ve always treated her? From the time we were kids and they had that little cottage at the end of our farm at the Narrows. I was just a jealous young idiot! I suppose Mollie’s somewhere back there. God bless her! When I think what would have happened without her!
She’s coming!
And I have to stand here like a stick instead of rushing to meet her and clasping her in my arms! Harry looks cool as a cucumber. But then he isn’t marrying Evie. How beautiful Evie is! God help me to make her happy ... make me worthy of her ... I wish I’d been a better man ... it’s over ... she’s my wife ...
my wife!
”

The bride, thinking,

“Is this just some wonderful dream? Will I wake up presently and find I’ve got to marry Elmer? Oh, if anything were to happen yet to prevent it ... the minister dropping dead ... he doesn’t look very robust. And to think D’Arcy always loved me when I thought he hated me! And the way I treated him! Oh, just suppose Mollie hadn’t caught him!

“Marnie looks so sweet. I hope she’ll be almost as happy a bride as I am. She couldn’t be
quite
so happy, of course ... nobody could.

“How beautifully solemn this is! Oh, his voice saying ‘I will’ ... there, I hope everybody heard me. No bride in the world ever said it more gladly ...
I am his wife
.”

The Reverend John Meredith, thinking,

“I don’t know why it is but I have a feeling that these two people I’ve just married are perfectly happy. What a pity one has this feeling so seldom. Well, I only hope they’ll be as happy as Rosamond and I are.”

Mary Hamilton, in a back seat, talking to her crony, Susan Baker,

“Sure, Susan, me dear, and one great advantage av the back sate is ye can be seeing iverybody and iverything without getting a crick in your neck. Evie, bless her heart, did be wanting me to sit up front wid the guests. There niver was any false pride about
her
. But I know me place better than that.

“There come the doctor and Mrs. Blythe. She do be looking like a girl for all her years.”

“She’s a girl at heart,” sighed Susan, “but she’s never been the same woman since Walter’s death.”

“Well, he died in a glorious cause. Me own niphew wint, too. It’s the proud and happy woman I am today, Susan Baker ...”

“I’m not wondering at that, if all I’ve heard is true. But you can’t believe all you hear.”

“No, nor one tinth av it. Well, I’ll be telling you the truth, Susan, if you promise me solemnly niver to breathe a word av it to a living soul. They told me that av you whin I began coming here ... how minny years ago?”

“Never mind,” said Susan, who didn’t care to be reminded of her age. “Just get on with your story before they come.”

“Well, Susan Baker, I’ve been seeing a miracle happen ... siveral av thim in fact.”

“It’s a miracle to be seeing Evie marry D’Arcy Phillips,” conceded Susan. “Everyone has always thought they detested each other.”

“Not iveryone, Susan ... not me.
I
always did be guessing the truth. As for the miracles, like iverything else they do be going by threes. Have ye iver noticed that?”

“To be sure I have.”

“Well, it’s little I was ixpecting innything like this two months ago, wid me pet going to marry the wrong man and Marnie breaking her heart about it and iverything so crisscross I couldn’t aven belave the Good Man himself could be straightening it out.”

“So she
was
engaged to Elmer Owen? I heard it from several but no one seemed sure.”

“Av coorse she was ... but you’ll niver breathe a word av this, Susan ...”

“If Mrs. Dr. dear asks right out,” said Susan doubtfully.

“Well, I wouldn’t mind
her
knowing ... it’d be better than her hearing a whole lot of gossip. And they tell me she’s one that can hold her tongue.”

“No one tighter,” said Susan, “when anything important is at stake. She never told a soul about me and Whiskers-on-the-Moon.”

“She mightn’t have, but it got out somehow.”

“Oh well, you know what gossip is. And of course Whiskers couldn’t hold his tongue. He’s been accusing me ever since ...”

“What could you ixpect av a man? Well, to get back to me story. There niver was innyone but Evie for D’Arcy and don’t let innyone tell ye different, Susan Baker.”

“I won’t. But it is true they were always fighting from the time they were tads ...”

“And didn’t ye be telling me that Rilla and Kenneth Ford used to fight like cat and dog when they were small?”

“That was different,” said Susan hastily.

“Not a mite av difference. Kids always do be fighting. They’ve been in love wid each ither iver since they grew up only they didn’t be knowing it. That’s some folks’ way av coorting. They wouldn’t be fighting if they didn’t be caring.

“They begun it the first day they iver met, whin he was tin and she was siven and they were stopping at the Phillipses till the cottage was ready for thim. She flung a big gob av mud at him bekase he was took up wid a liddle cousin av his that did be making eyes at him.”

“They begun it young in those days,” sighed Susan. “Maybe if my ma hadn’t said I must behave myself when the boys were round ... but it’s too late now ... and I’m content with my lot ... as long as I can work ...”

“Sure and they didn’t begin inny younger then than now. But if ye kape on interrupting me, Susan Baker ...”

“Go on. It’s only ... well, did ever any decent man ask you to marry him, Mary Hamilton?”

“Millions av thim. At inny rate that’s what I always do be telling people who ask impertinent questions.”

“
I
was brought up to tell the truth,” said Susan proudly.

“Well, if ye don’t be wanting to hear me story ...”

“Go on,” said Susan resignedly.

“Well, he did be turning the hose on her in return for the gob. Oh, oh, the tithery-is we did be having wid both mothers scolding! And ivery summer the same whin we come to the Narrows. The way they did be fighting come to be a family joke. Thin her ma forbid her going up to the Phillips ...”

“Folks said she was too proud to associate with the country people, I remember,” interjected Susan.

“There’s a sample av lies for ye. There ain’t a woman on this airth that’s got less pride than Mrs. March.”

“Except Mrs. Dr. dear,” murmured Susan under her breath.

“D’Arcy used to spile her mud pies ... just bekase he did be thinking she was more interested in thim than in him as I knew very well ... and her knocking over his sandcastles for the same rason ... though she didn’t know it herself, the darlint.

“And no better whin they did be growing up ...”

“Kenneth and Rilla had more sense then,” murmured Susan. But she had learned not to interrupt Mary ... and she wanted to hear the rights of the story before the bridal party arrived.

“It was worse if innything ... with her mocking and twitting him and him sneering at her ... both av thim going white with jealousy whiniver ayther av thim looked at innybody ilse. The tantrums they’d be taking! They wouldn’t be spaking to ache ither for wakes. Iverybody thought they hated ache ither ... iverybody excipt ould Mollie Hamilton, cooking in the kitchen and fading thim up whin they crept in for a snack whin they was on fair terms.”

“Just like Kenneth and Rilla,” thought Susan.

“Didn’t I be seeing how it was? Ould Mollie Hamilton isn’t blind even yet, Susan Baker. Him crazy mad about her, and her up to her pretty eyes in love wid him and thinking she was the last girl he’d iver look at. But thinks I to mesilf, ‘They’re young and it’ll all come right in the ind,’ and in the manetime better a clane fight than the moonlighting and flirting and ‘petting,’ as they called it, that wint on wid the rest av the summer fry. Sure and I used to laugh at the spitting and snarling av thim so much that I didn’t be nading a dose av medicine once a year.”