Otherwise his
persistent ill-luck had left no mark on him.
The ceremony took place early the following morning, at the house of the
Wesleyan minister, the Anglican parson having been called away. The
Beamishes and Polly drove to town, a tight fit in a double buggy. On the
back seat, Jinny clung to and half supported a huge clothes-basket,
which contained the wedding-breakfast. Polly sat on her trunk by the
splashboard; and Tilly, crowded out, rode in on one of the cart-horses,
a coloured bed-quilt pinned round her waist to protect her skirts.
To Polly's disappointment neither her brother John nor his wife was
present; a letter came at the eleventh hour to say that Mrs. Emma was
unwell, and her husband did not care to leave her. Enclosed, however,
were ten pounds for the purchase of a wedding-gift; and the pleasure
Polly felt at being able to announce John's generosity helped to make up
to her for his absence. The only other guest present was an elder
sister, Miss Sarah Turnham, who, being out of a situation at the moment,
had sailed down from Melbourne. This young lady, a sprightly brunette of
some three or four and twenty, without the fine, regular features of Ned
and Polly, but with tenfold their vivacity and experience, caused quite
a sensation; and Tilly's audible raptures at beholding her Purdy again
were of short duration; for Purdy had never met the equal of Miss Sarah,
and could not take his eyes off her. He and she were the life of the
party.
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