At a given
signal, Mr. Hill appeared, leading his daughter Tryphena, followed by
Christie Hislop and Malvina McGlashan. Next came Sylvanus in the grasp
of Saul Pilgrim, attended by Rufus, and the ubiquitous Mr. Bangs.
Without being asked, Mr. Pilgrim senior ostentatiously stated, after Mr.
Hill had bestowed his oldest daughter, that he gave his son to be that
woman's husband, and trusted they would bring up their family, as he had
done his, in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. This bombshell
excited some merriment in the rear of the procession, where Mrs. Rigby
was pushing the corporal forward to exhibit his uniform and medals. When
the ceremony was over, the bride and bridegroom remained, but the
fathers and the assistants returned to the kitchen. Tryphosa now hung
upon her father's arm, and Timotheus was hauled in by Saul, receiving
admonitions on the way. The groomsmen and bridesmaids were as before.
Mrs. Hill, who stood by Mrs. Carruthers, wept copiously, when her
favourite daughter's turn came, and Hill senior gave her away with a
qualm, especially as the parent of Timotheus presented him as the
prodigy's son come back from the swine husks.
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