"And a fig for death, at
worst! It has to be done, my master, soon or late. And hanging in
a good quarrel is an easy death, they say, though I could never
hear of any that came back to say so."
And so saying, the stout old rascal leaned back in his stall,
folded his arms, and began to look about him with the greatest air
of insolence and unconcern.
"And for the matter of that," Dick added, "it is yet our best
chance to keep quiet. We wot not yet what Duckworth purposes; and
when all is said, and if the worst befall, we may yet clear our
feet of it."
Now that they ceased talking, they were aware of a very distant and
thin strain of mirthful music which steadily drew nearer, louder,
and merrier. The bells in the tower began to break forth into a
doubling peal, and a greater and greater concourse of people to
crowd into the church, shuffling the snow from off their feet, and
clapping and blowing in their hands. The western door was flung
wide open, showing a glimpse of sunlit, snowy street, and admitting
in a great gust the shrewd air of the morning; and in short, it
became plain by every sign that Lord Shoreby desired to be married
very early in the day, and that the wedding-train was drawing near.
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