"
Thus nothing could be done to prepare the little maiden but to divest
her of her mufflings, and comb out her flaxen hair, crowning it with
a wreath which Christina had already woven from the myrtle of her own
girlhood, scarcely waiting to answer the bewildered queries and
entreaties save by caresses and admonitions to her to be very good.
Poor little thing! She was tired, frightened, and confused; and,
when she had been brought upstairs, she answered the half smiling,
half shy greeting of her bridegroom with a shudder of alarm, and the
exclamation, "Where is the beautiful young knight? That's a lady
going to take the veil lying under the pall."
"You look rather like a little nun yourself," said Ebbo, for she wore
a little conventual dress, "but we must take each other for such as
we are;" and, as she hid her face and clung to his mother, he added
in a more cheerful, coaxing tone, "You once said you would be my
wife."
"Ah, but then there were two of you, and you were all shining
bright."
Before she could be answered, the impatient Emperor returned, and
brought with him the abbot, who proceeded to find the place in his
book, and to ask the bridegroom for the rings.
Pages:
460
461
462
463
464
465
466
467
468
469
470
471
472
473
474
475
476
477
478
479
480
481
482
483
484