hat I came in for, was to offer you my congratulations on this
auspicious day, Miss Cornelia. I hope Mr. Archibald and his wife, and
you, ma'am--"

"There! You need not trouble yourself to go on," interrupted Miss Corny,
hotly arresting him. "We want condolence here to-day, rather than
the other thing. I'm sure I'd nearly as soon see Archibald go to his
hanging."

"Oh, Miss Corny!"

"I would; and you need not stare at me as if you were throttled. What
business has he to go and fetter himself with a wife again. One would
have thought he had had enough with the other. It is as I have always
said, there's a soft place in Archibald's brain."

Old Dill knew there was no "soft place" in the brain of Mr. Carlyle,
but he deemed it might be as well not to say so, in Miss Corny's
present humor. "Marriage is a happy state, as I have heard, ma'am, and
honorable; and I am sure Mr. Archibald--"

"Very happy! Very honorable!" fiercely cried Miss Carlyle, sarcasm in
her tone. "His last marriage brought him all that, did it not?"

"That's past and done with, Miss Corny, and none of us need recall it.
I hope he will find in his present wife a recompense for what's gone; he
could not have chosen a prettier or nicer young lady than Miss Barbara;
and I am glad to my very heart that he has got her."

"Couldn't he?" jerked Miss Carlyle.

"No, ma'am, he could not. Were I young, and wanted a wife, there's no
one in all West Lynne I would so soon look out for as Miss Barbara. Not
that she'd have me; and I was not speaking in that sense, Miss Corny."

"It's to be hoped you were not," retorted Miss Corny. "She is an idle,
insolent, vain fagot, caring for nothing but her own doll's face and for
Archibald."

"Ah, well, ma'am never mind that; pretty young girls know they are
pretty, and you can't take their vanity from them. She'll be a good
and loving wife to him; I know she will; it is in her nature; she won't
serve him as--as--that other poor unfortunate did."

"If I feared she was one to bring shame to him, as the other did, I'd
go into the church this hour and forbid the marriage; and if that didn't
do, I'd--smother her!" shrieked Miss Carlyle. "Look at that piece of
impudence!"

That last sentence was uttered in a different tone, and concerned
somebody in the street. Miss Carlyle hopped off her chair and strode to
the window. Mr. Dill's eyes turned in the like direction.

In a gay and summer's dress, fine and sparkling, with a c