they showed her to him sitting on her favourite seat, with her bent
head, her hands clasped on her brow, her falling hair. As he had
seen her last. And when they found her thus, they neither turned
nor looked upon him, but gathered close round her, and comforted
and kissed her, and pressed on one another to show sympathy and
kindness to her, and forgot him altogether.

Thus the night passed. The moon went down; the stars grew pale;
the cold day broke; the sun rose. The Carrier still sat, musing,
in the chimney corner. He had sat there, with his head upon his
hands, all night. All night the faithful Cricket had been Chirp,
Chirp, Chirping on the Hearth. All night he had listened to its
voice. All night the household Fairies had been busy with him.
All night she had been amiable and blameless in the glass, except
when that one shadow fell upon it.

He rose up when it was broad day, and washed and dressed himself.
He couldn't go about his customary cheerful avocations--he wanted
spirit for them--but it mattered the less, that it was Tackleton's
wedding-day, and he had arranged to make his rounds by proxy. He
thought to have gone merrily to church with Dot. But such plans
were at an end. It was their own wedding-day too. Ah! how little
he had looked for such a close to such a year!

The Carrier had expected that Tackleton would pay him an early
visit; and he was right. He had not walked to and fro before his
own door, many minutes, when he saw the Toy-merchant coming in his
chaise along the road. As the chaise drew nearer, he perceived
that Tackleton was dressed out sprucely for his marriage, and that
he had decorated his horse's head with flowers and favours.