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 . Some of Lord Shoreby 's men now cleared a passage down the middle aisle , forcing the people back with lance-stocks ; and just then , outside the portal , the secular musicians could be descried drawing near over the frozen snow , the fifers and trumpeters scarlet in the face with lusty blowing , the drummers and the cymbalists beating as for a wager . These , as they drew near the door of the sacred building , filed off on either side , and , marking time to their own vigorous music , stood stamping in the snow . As they thus opened their ranks , the leaders of this noble bridal train appeared behind and between them ; and such was the variety and gaiety of their attire , such the display of silks and velvet , fur and satin , embroidery and lace , that the procession showed forth upon the snow like a flower-bed in a path or a painted window in a wall . First came the bride , a sorry sight , as pale as winter , clinging to Sir Daniel 's arm , and attended , as brides-maid , by the short young lady who had befriended Dick the night before . Close behind , in the most radiant toilet , followed the bridegroom , halting on a gouty foot ; and as he passed the threshold of the sacred building and doffed his hat , his bald head was seen to be rosy with emotion . And now came the hour of Ellis Duckworth . Dick , who sat stunned among contrary emotions , grasping the desk in front of him , beheld a movement in the crowd , people jostling backward , and eyes and arms uplifted . Following these signs , he beheld three or four men with bent bows leaning from the clerestory gallery . At the same instant they delivered their discharge , and before the clamour and cries of the astounded populace had time to swell fully upon the ear , they had flitted from their perch and disappeared . The nave was full of swaying heads and voices screaming ; the ecclesiastics thronged in terror from their places ; the music ceased , and though the bells overhead continued for some seconds to clang upon the air , some wind of the disaster seemed to find its way at last even to the chamber where the ringers were leaping on their ropes , and they also desisted from their merry labours . Right in the midst of the nave the bridegroom lay stone-dead , pierced by two black arrows . The bride had fainted . Sir Daniel stood , towering above the crowd in his surprise and anger , a clothyard shaft quivering in his left forearm , and his face streaming blood from another which had grazed his brow . Long before any search could be made for them , the authors of this tragic interruption had clattered down a turnpike stair and decamped by a postern door .
But XXXXX and Lawless still remained in pawn ; they had , indeed , arisen on the first alarm , and pushed manfully to gain the door ; but what with the narrowness of the stalls and the crowding of terrified priests and choristers , the attempt had been in vain , and they had stoically resumed their places .
Daniel Dick First concourse lance-stocks left morning sunlit trumpeters wedding-train