To Have and To Hold | Page 7

in the Southampton," my
new acquaintance explained. "I am to sit in the choir. Let us pass, good
fellow."
The sexton squared himself before the narrow opening, and swelled
with importance.
"You, reverend sir, I will admit, such being my duty. But this
gentleman is no preacher; I may not allow him to pass."
"You mistake, friend," said my companion gravely. "This gentleman,
my worthy colleague, has but just come from the island of St. Brandon,
where he preaches on the witches' Sabbath: hence the disorder of his
apparel. His admittance be on my head: wherefore let us by."
"None to enter at the west door save Councilors, commander, and
ministers. Any attempting to force an entrance to be arrested and laid
by the heels if they be of the generality, or, if they be of quality, to be
duly fined and debarred from the purchase of any maid whatsoever,"
chanted the sexton.

"Then, in God's name, let's on!" I exclaimed "Here, try this!" and I
drew from my purse, which was something of the leanest, a shilling.
"Try this," quoth Master Jeremy Sparrow, and knocked the sexton
down.
We left the fellow sprawling in the doorway, sputtering threats to the
air without, but with one covetous hand clutching at the shilling which
I threw behind me, and entered the church, which we found yet empty,
though through the open great door we heard the drum beat loudly and
a deepening sound of footsteps.
"I have choice of position," I said. "Yonder window seems a good
station. You remain here in the choir?"
"Ay," he answered, with a sigh; "the dignity of my calling must be
upheld: wherefore I sit in high places, rubbing elbows with gold lace,
when of the very truth the humility of my spirit is such that I would feel
more at home in the servants' seats or among the negars that we bought
last year."
Had we not been in church I would have laughed, though indeed I saw
that he devoutly believed his own words. He took his seat in the largest
and finest of the chairs behind the great velvet one reserved for the
Governor, while I went and leaned against my window, and we stared
at each other across the flower-decked building in profound silence,
until, with one great final crash, the bells ceased, the drum stopped
beating, and the procession entered.
CHAPTER III
IN WHICH I MARRY IN HASTE
THE long service of praise and thanksgiving was well-nigh over when I
first saw her.
She sat some ten feet from me, in the corner, and so in the shadow of a
tall pew. Beyond her was a row of milkmaid beauties, red of cheek,

free of eye, deep-bosomed, and beribboned like Maypoles. I looked
again, and saw - and see - a rose amongst blowzed poppies and peonies,
a pearl amidst glass beads, a Perdita in a ring of rustics, a nonparella of
all grace and beauty! As I gazed with all my eyes, I found more than
grace and beauty in that wonderful face, - found pride, wit, fire,
determination, finally shame and anger. For, feeling my eyes upon her,
she looked up and met what she must have thought the impudent stare
of an appraiser. Her face, which had been without color, pale and clear
like the sky about the evening star, went crimson in a moment. She bit
her lip and shot at me one withering glance, then dropped her eyelids
and hid the lightning. When I looked at her again, covertly, and from
under my hand raised as though to push back my hair, she was pale
once more, and her dark eyes were fixed upon the water and the green
trees without the window.
The congregation rose, and she stood up with the other maids. Her
dress of dark woolen, severe and unadorned, her close ruff and prim
white coif, would have cried "Puritan," had ever Puritan looked like
this woman, upon whom the poor apparel had the seeming of purple
and ermine.
Anon came the benediction. Governor, Councilors, commanders, and
ministers left the choir and paced solemnly down the aisle; the maids
closed in behind; and we who had lined the walls, shifting from one
heel to the other for a long two hours, brought up the rear, and so
passed from the church to a fair green meadow adjacent thereto. Here
the company disbanded; the wearers of gold lace betaking themselves
to seats erected in the shadow of a mighty oak, and the ministers, of
whom there were four, bestowing themselves within pulpits of turf. For
one altar and one clergyman could not hope to dispatch that day's
business.
As for the maids, for a minute or more they made one cluster; then,
shyly or with