HEN the wedding took place, some three weeks later, St.
Peter's was crowded with a perfect mob of smart people. The service
was read in the most impressive manner by the Dean of Chichester,
and everybody agreed that they had never seen a handsomer couple
than the bride and bridegroom. They were more than handsome,
however they were happy. Never for a single moment
did Lord Arthur regret all that he had suffered for Sybil's sake,
while she, on her side, gave him the best things a woman can
give to any man worship, tenderness, and love.
For them romance was not killed by reality. They always felt
young.
Some years afterwards, when two
beautiful children had been born to them, Lady Windermere came
down on a visit to Alton Priory, a lovely old place, that had
been the Duke's wedding present to his son; and one afternoon
as she was sitting with Lady Arthur under a lime-tree in the
garden, watching the little boy and girl as they played up and
down the rose-walk, like fitful sunbeams, she suddenly took her
hostess's hand in hers, and said, 'Are you happy, Sybil?'
'Dear Lady Windermere, of course
I am happy. Aren't you?'
'I have no time to be happy,
Sybil. I always like the last person who is introduced to me;
but, as a rule, as soon as I know people I get tired of them.'
'Don't your lions satisfy you,
Lady Windermere?'
'Oh dear, no! lions are only
good for one season. As soon as their manes are cut, they are
the dullest creatures going. Besides, they behave very badly,
if you are really nice to them. Do you remember that horrid Mr.
Podgers? He was a dreadful impostor. Of course, I didn't mind
that at all, and even when he wanted to borrow money I forgave
him, but I could not stand his making love to me. He has really
made me hate cheiromancy. I go in for telepathy now. It is much
more amusing.'
'You mustn't say anything against
cheiromancy here, Lady Windermere; it is the only subject that
Arthur does not like people to chaff about. I assure you he is
quite serious over it.'
'You don't mean to say that he
believes in it, Sybil?'
'Ask him, Lady Windermere, here
he is'; and Lord Arthur came up the garden with a large bunch
of yellow roses in his hand, and his two children dancing round
him.
'Lord Arthur?'
'Yes, Lady Windermere.'
'You don't mean to say that you
believe in cheiromancy?'
'Of course I do,' said the young
man, smiling.
'But why?'
'Because I owe to it all the
happiness of my life,' he murmured, throwing himself into a wicker
chair.
'My dear Lord Arthur, what do
you owe to it?'
'Sybil,' he answered, handing
his wife the roses, and looking into her violet eyes.
'What nonsense!' cried Lady Windermere.
'I never heard such nonsense in all my life.'
[The Sphinx
Without a Secret]
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Oscar Wilde Collection