white
gown was found and put on the little passive creature, and good Abby,
crying with excitement, twined some flowers in the soft dark hair, and
thought that even Sister Lizzie, in her blue silk dress and chip
bonnet, had not made so lovely a bride as this stranger, this wandering
child from no one knew where. The wedding took place in Abby's parlor,
with only Abby herself and a single neighbour for witnesses. A little
crowd gathered round the door, however, to see how Jacques De Arthenay
looked when he'd made a fool of himself, as they expressed it. They
were in a merry mood, the friendly neighbours, and had sundry jests
ready to crack upon the bridegroom when he should appear; but when he
finally stood in the doorway, with the little pale bride on his arm, it
became apparent that jests were not in order. People calc'lated that
Jacques was in one of his moods, and was best not to be spoke with just
that moment; besides, 't was no time for them to be l'iterin' round
staring, with all there was to be done. So the crowd melted away, and
only Abby followed the new-married couple to their own home. She,
walking behind in much perturbation of spirit, noticed that on the
threshold Marie stumbled, and seemed about to fall, and that Jacques
lifted her in his arms as if she were a baby, and carried her into the
room. He had not seemed to notice till that moment that the child was
carrying her violin-case, though to be sure it was plain enough to see,
but as he lifted her, it struck against the door-jamb, and he glanced
down and saw it. When Abby came in (for this was to be her good-by to
them, as she was to leave that afternoon for her sister's home), De
Arthenay had the case in his hand, and was speaking in low, earnest
tones.

"You cannot have this thing, Mary! It is a thing of evil, and may not
be in a Christian household. You are going to leave all those things
behind you now, and there must be nothing to recall that life with
those bad people. I will burn the evil thing now, and it shall be a
sweet savour to the Lord, even a marriage sacrifice." As he spoke he
opened the case, and taking out the violin, laid it across his knee,
intending to break it into pieces; but at this Marie broke out into a
cry, so wild, so piercing, that he paused, and Abby ran to her and took
her in, her arms, and pressed her to her kind breast, and comforted her
as one comforts a little child. Then she turned to the stern-eyed
bride