When Pemberton and Corliss came back with the minister, it was clear
that Pemberton agreed with Stevey Todd on that point. It may be he
was not in the habit of agreeing with Andrew McCulloch. Certainly he
gave Madge McCulloch away in marriage to Billy Corliss. And she,
saying that she wanted a maid-of-honour, chose Uncle Abimelech for
that purpose, which seemed scarcely reasonable, but the minister
married them and went his way. Then Stevey Todd could not get over
thinking he would have been a better maid-of-honour than Uncle
Abimelech, more suitable and more according to the talents of each,
and he said this, though indirectly and warily; and Uncle Abimelech
said that he recollected licking Stevey Todd thirty years back on the
_Hebe Maitland_, "took him across his knee and whaled him good;"
and Stevey Todd, though cautiously, seemed to hint that some one who
might be Abe Dalrimple, couldn't do it again, and in other respects
resembled a dry codfish. Billy Corliss stood up and said:
"Gentlemen, the elements are raging. In the town of Adrian the ear
of imagination detects explosions. But Pemberton's is dedicated to
peace and connubiality."
Then they retired with their connubiality, and paid us no more
attention, and Pemberton, Captain Buckingham, Stevey Todd, Uncle
Abimelech, and I sat by the fire.
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