wed upon him, and the start he gave!

"I am sorry, sir," said Edward, holding out May's left hand, and
especially the third finger, "that the young lady can't accompany you to
church; but, as she has been there once this morning, perhaps you'll
excuse her."

Tackleton looked hard at the third finger, and took a little piece of
silver paper, apparently containing a ring, from his waistcoat pocket.

"Miss Slowboy," said Tackleton, "will you have the kindness to throw
that in the fire? Thankee."

"It was a previous engagement, quite an old engagement, that prevented
my wife from keeping her appointment with you, I assure you," said
Edward.

"Mr. Tackleton will do me the justice to acknowledge that I revealed it
to him faithfully; and that I told him, many times, I never could forget
it," said May, blushing.

"Oh, certainly!" said Tackleton. "Oh, to be sure! Oh, it's all right,
it's quite correct! Mrs. Edward Plummer, I infer?"

"That's the name," returned the bridegroom.

"Ah! I shouldn't have known you, sir," said Tackleton, scrutinising his
face narrowly, and making a low bow. "I give you joy, sir!"

"Thankee."

"Mrs. Peerybingle," said Tackleton, turning suddenly to where she stood
with her husband; "I'm sorry. You haven't done me a very great kindness,
but, upon my life, I am sorry. You are better than I thought you. John
Peerybingle, I am sorry. You understand me; that's enough. It's quite
correct, ladies and gentlemen all, and perfectly satisfactory. Good
morning!"

With these words he carried it off, and carried himself off too: merely
stopping at the door to take the flowers and favours from his horse's
head, and to kick that animal once in the ribs, as a means of informing
him that there was a screw loose in his arrangements.

Of course, it became a serious duty now to make such a day of it as
should mark these events for a high Feast and Festival in the
Peerybingle Calendar for evermore. Accordingly, Dot went to work to
produce such an entertainment as should reflect undying honour on the
house and on every one concerned; and, in a very short space of time,
she was up to her dimpled elbows in flour, and whitening the Carrier's
coat, every time he came near her, by stopping him to give him a kiss.
That good fellow washed the greens, and peeled the turnips, and broke
the plates, and upset iron pots full of cold water on the fire, and made
himself useful in all sorts of ways: while a couple of profess