Then he turned again to his eager
and expectant audience.
"In your presence, my friends, and in the presence of God and before
the Cross, I take Sylvie Hermenstein to be my wedded wife! I swear
to devote myself to her, body and soul,--to cherish her first and
last of all human creatures,--to be true to her in thought, word and
deed,--to care for her in sickness as in health, in age as in
youth,--to honour her as my chiefest good,--and to die faithful to
her in this world,--hoping by the mercy of God to complete a more
perfect union with her in the world to come! In the name of Christ,
Amen!"
And then Sylvie threw back her veil and turned her enchanting face
upon the crowd,--a face fairer than ever, irradiated by the love and
truth of her soul,--and the people gazed and wondered, and wondering
held their breath as her clear accents rang through the silence.
"In your presence, and in the presence of God and before the Cross,
I take Aubrey Leigh to be my wedded husband! I swear to devote
myself to him body and soul, to cherish him first and last of all
human creatures,--to be true to him in thought, word and deed,--to
care for him in sickness as in health, in age as in youth,--to
honour him as my chiefest good,--and to die faithful to him in this
world,--praying God in His mercy to complete a more perfect union
with him in the world to come.
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