It had a great emerald hanging to it.
The bridegroom was not present.

He was having betrothal festivities of his own at his father's house.

As I understood it, he and the bride were to entertain company every night and nearly all night for a week or more, then get married, if alive.

Both of the children were a little elderly, as brides and grooms go, in India--twelve; they ought to have been married a year or two sooner; still to a, stranger twelve seems quite young enough.
A while after midnight a couple of celebrated and high-priced nautch-girls appeared in the gorgeous place, and danced and sang.

With them were men who played upon strange instruments which made uncanny noises of a sort to make one's flesh creep.