that insteadof scolding her
This enforcedunpunctuality was a new torture to him. Jacintha told them he wasangry, and that made them nervous and flurried, and their fingersstrayed wildly among hooks and eyes, and all sorts of fastenings;they were not ready till half-past nine. Conscious they deserved ascolding, they sent Josephine down first to mollify. She dawnedupon the honest soldier so radiant, so dazzling in her snowy dress,with her coronet of pearls (an heirloom), and her bridal veilparted, and the flush of conscious beauty on her cheek, that insteadof scolding her, he actually blurted out, "Well! by St. Denis it wasworth waiting half an hour for."He recovered a quarter of an hour by making the driver gallop. Thenoccasional shrieks issued from the carriage that held the baroness.
That ancient lady feared annihilation: she had not come down from agalloping age.
They drove into the town, drew up at the mayor’s house, werereceived with great ceremony by that functionary and Picard, andentered the house.
When their carriages rattled into the street from the north side,Colonel Dujardin had already entered it from the south, and wasriding at a foot’s pace along the principal street. The motion ofhis horse now shook him past endurance. He dismounted at an inn afew doors from the mayor’s house, and determined to do the rest ofthe short journey on foot. The landlord bustled about himobsequiously. "You are faint, colonel; you have travelled too far.
Let me order you an excellent breakfast.""No. I want a carriage; have you one?""I have two; but, unluckily, they are both engaged for the day, andby people of distinction. Commandant Raynal is married to-day.""Ah! I wish him joy," said Camille, heartily. He then asked thelandlord to open the window, as he felt rather faint. The landlordinsisted on breakfast, and Camille sat down to an omelet and abottle of red wine. Then he lay awhile near the window, revived bythe air, and watched the dear little street he had not seen foryears. He felt languid, but happy, celestially happy.
She was a few doors from him, and neither knew it.
A pen was put into her white hand, and in another moment she hadsigned a marriage contract.
"Now to the church," cried the baroness, gayly. To get to thechurch, they must pass by the window Camille reclined at.
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