And as to
going back to Mount Eaton, ghosts of past times would meet me there,
whose pain was then too recent to have turned into the treasure these
recollections are to me.
There would be just time, Dermot declared, if he put up our banns the
very next Sunday, to go through with it before the time Pippa had
appointed for receiving Dora, and it would save all the trouble of
hunting up a surrogate and startling him with his lovely face.
However, he did startle the poor old parish clergyman effectually by
calling on him to publish the banns of marriage between Dermot Edward
St. Glear Tracy and Lucy Percy Alison, both residing in this parish.
He evidently thought we were in hiding from someone who knew of some
just cause or impediment; but whereas we certainly did full justice
to our ages twenty-eight and twenty-six, he could only try to examine
us individually very politely, but betraying how uncomfortable he
was.
It was most amusing to see how his face cleared up when, two days
later, he met us on the beach with a dignified old white-haired
gentleman, though Dermot declared that the imposing title mentioned
on the introduction made him suspect us of having hired a benignant
stage father for the occasion.
The dear old uncle Ery had actually come down to chaperone us, and
really act as much as possible as a father to me; and as I had
likewise sent for Colman and a white silk dress, the St.
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