Peedles, urged me to cheer up. "Don't wear your 'eart upon your sleeve," he advised. "Try and smile."
In the vestry I met old friends. The maternal Sellars, stouter than ever, had been accommodated with a chair--at least, I assumed so, she being in a sitting posture; the chair itself was not in evidence. She greeted me with more graciousness than I had expected, enquiring after my health with pointedness and an amount of tender solicitude that, until the explanation broke upon me, somewhat puzzled me.
Mr. Reginald Clapper was a small but energetic gentleman, much impressed, I was glad to notice, with a conviction of his own good fortune. He expressed the greatest delight at being introduced to me, shook me heartily by the hand, and hoped we should always be friends.
"Won't be my fault if we're not," he added. "Come and see us whenever you like." He repeated this three times. I gathered the general sentiment to be that he was acting, if anything, with excess of generosity.
Mrs. Reginald Clapper, as I was relieved to know she now was, received my salute to a subdued murmur of applause. She looked to my eyes handsomer than when I had last seen her, or maybe my taste was growing less exacting. She also trusted she might always regard me as a friend. I replied that it would be my hope to deserve the honour; whereupon she kissed me of her own accord, and embracing her mother, shed some tears, explaining the reason to be that everybody was so good to her.
Brother George, less lank than formerly, hampered by a pair of enormous white kid gloves, superintended my signing of the register, whispering to me sympathetically: "Better luck next time, old cock."
The fat young lady--or, maybe, the lean young lady, grown stouter, I cannot say for certain--who feared I had forgotten her, a thing I assured her utterly impossible, was good enough to say that, in her opinion, I was worth all the others put together.
"And so I told her," added the fat young lady--or the lean one grown stouter, "a dozen times if I told her once. But there!"
I murmured my obligations.
Cousin Joseph, 'whom I found no difficulty in recognising by reason of his watery eyes, appeared not so chirpy as of yore.
"You take my tip," advised Cousin Joseph, drawing me aside, "and keep out of it."
"You speak from experience?" I suggested.
"I'm as fond of a joke," said the watery-eyed Joseph, "as any man.
But when it comes to buckets of water--"
A reminder from the maternal Sellars that breakfast had been ordered for eleven o'clock caused a general movement and arrested Joseph's revelations.
"See you again, perhaps," he murmured, and pushed past me.
What Mrs. Sellars, I suppose, would have alluded to as a cold col-la-shon had been arranged for at a restaurant near by. I walked there in company with Uncle and Aunt Gutton; not because I particularly desired their companionship, but because Uncle Gutton, seizing me by the arm, left me no alternative.
"Now then, young man," commenced Uncle Gutton kindly, but boisterously so soon as we were in the street, at some little distance behind the others, "if you want to pitch into me, you pitch away. I shan't mind, and maybe it'll do you good."
I informed him that nothing was further from my desire.
"Oh, all right," returned Uncle Gutton, seemingly disappointed. "If you're willing to forgive and forget, so am I. I never liked you, as I daresay you saw, and so I told Rosie. 'He may be cleverer than he looks,' I says, 'or be may be a bigger fool than I think him, though that's hardly likely. You take my advice and get a full-grown article, then you'll know what you're doing.'
I told him I thought his advice had been admirable.
"I'm glad you think so," he returned, somewhat puzzled; "though if you wanted to call me names I shouldn't have blamed you. Anyhow, you've took it like a sensible chap. You've got over it, as I always told her you would. Young men out of story-books don't die of broken hearts, even if for a month or two they do feel like standing on their head in the water-butt."
"Why, I was in love myself three times," explained Uncle Gutton, "before I married the old woman."
Aunt Gutton sighed and said she was afraid gentlemen didn't feel these things as much as they ought to.
"They've got their living to earn," retorted Uncle Gutton.
I agreed with Uncle Gutton that life could not be wasted in vain regret.
"As for the rest," admitted Uncle Gutton, handsomely, "I was wrong.
You've turned out better than I expected you would."
I thanked him for his improved opinion, and as we entered the restaurant we shook hands.
Minikin we found there waiting for us. He explained that having been able to obtain only limited leave of absence from business, he had concluded the time would be better employed at the restaurant than at the church. Others were there also with whom I was unacquainted, young sparks, admirers, I presume, of the Lady 'Ortensia in her professional capacity, fellow-clerks of Mr. Clapper, who was something in the City. Altogether we must have numbered a score.
Breakfast was laid in a large room on the first floor. The wedding presents stood displayed upon a side-table. My own, with my card attached, had not been seen by Mrs. Clapper till that moment. She and her mother lingered, examining it.
"Real silver!" I heard the maternal Sellars whisper, "Must have paid a ten pound note for it."
"I hope you'll find it useful," I said.
The maternal Sellars, drifting away, joined the others gathered together at the opposite end of the room.
"I suppose you think I set my cap at you merely because you were a gentleman," said the Lady 'Ortensia.
"Don't let's talk about it," I answered. "We were both foolish."
"I don't want you to think it was merely that," continued the Lady 'Ortensia. "I did like you. And I wouldn't have disgraced you--at least, I'd have tried not to. We women are quick to learn. You never gave me time."
"Believe me, things are much better as they are," I said.