XVI. All Saints' and All Souls'

           

           Onaweek-daymorningasmallcongregation,consistingmainlyofwomenandgirls,rosefromitskneesinthemouldynaveofachurchcalledAllSaints’,inthedistantbarrack-townbefore-mentioned,attheendofaservicewithoutasermon.Theywereabouttodisperse,whenasmartfootstep,enteringtheporchandcomingupthecentralpassage,arrestedtheirattention.Thestepechoedwitharingunusualinachurch;itwastheclinkofspurs.Everybodylooked.Ayoungcavalrysoldierinareduniform,withthethreechevronsofasergeantuponhissleeve,strodeuptheaisle,withanembarrassmentwhichwasonlythemoremarkedbytheintensevigourofhisstep,andbythedeterminationuponhisfacetoshownone.Aslightflushhadmountedhischeekbythetimehehadrunthegauntletbetweenthesewomen;but,passingonthroughthechancelarch,heneverpausedtillhecameclosetothealtarrailing.Hereforamomenthestoodalone.

           Theofficiatingcurate,whohadnotyetdoffedhissurplice,perceivedthenew-comer,andfollowedhimtothecommunion-space.Hewhisperedtothesoldier,andthenbeckonedtotheclerk,whoinhisturnwhisperedtoanelderlywoman,apparentlyhiswife,andtheyalsowentupthechancelsteps.

           "’Tisawedding!"murmuredsomeofthewomen,brightening."Let’swait!"

           Themajorityagainsatdown.

           Therewasacreakingofmachinerybehind,andsomeoftheyoungonesturnedtheirheads.

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