Then Uncle Prosper had sent down a
pretty jewelled ring, and said that he would remain in his room. His
health hardly permitted of his being present with advantage. So it was
decided that Miss Thoroughbung should come, and every one felt that she
would be the howling spirit,--if not at the ceremony, at the banquet
which would be given afterward.
Miss Thoroughbung was not the only obstacle, had the whole been known.
Young Soames, the son of the attorney with whom Mr. Prosper had found it
so evil a thing to have to deal, was to act as Joe's best man. Mr.
Prosper learned this, probably, from Matthew, but he never spoke of it
to the family.
It was a sad disgrace in his eyes that any Soames should have been so
far mixed up with the Prosper blood. Young Algy Soames was in himself a
very nice sort of young fellow, who liked a day's hunting when he could
be spared out of his father's office, and whose worst fault was that he
wore loud cravats. But he was an abomination to Mr. Prosper, who had
never seen him. As it was, he carried himself very mildly on this
occasion.
"It's a pity we're not to have two marriages at the same time," said Mr.
Crabtree, a clerical wag from the next parish. "Don't you think so, Mrs.
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