y money and my daughter, without consulting you, or caring
what anybody may chance to say, whether whig or tory. For my part, I
think there's little to choose between them. One side's as bad as the
other. Tyrants in office and patriots out. If Hanson is a conservative
and a churchman, his foreman is a radical and a dissenter; and they
neither of them pretend to dictate to their betters, which is more than
I can say of some who call themselves reformers. Once for all, I tell
you that he shall marry my Harriet, and that your nephew sha'n't: so
now you may arrest him as soon as you like. I'm not to be managed
here, however you and your tools may carry matters at the Town Hall. An
Englishman's house is his castle."

"Well," said Mr. Mallet, "I am going. God knows I came out of old
friendship towards yourself, and sincere affection for the dear girl
your daughter. As to my nephew, besides that I firmly believe the young
people like each other, I know him to be as steady a lad as ever drew a
conveyance; and with what his father has left him, and what I can give
him, to say nothing of his professional prospects, he would be a fit
match for Harriet as far as money goes. But if you are determined----"

"I _am_ determined," roared John Parsons. "Before next week is out,
Joseph Hanson shall be my son-in-law. And now, sir, I advise you to go
and drill your police." And the tinman retired from behind the counter
into the interior of his dwelling, (for this colloquy had taken place in
the shop,) banging the door behind him with a violence that really shook
the house.

"Poor pretty Harriet!" thought the compassionate chief magistrate, "and
poor Frederick too! The end of next week! This is only Monday; something
may turn up in that time; we must make inquiries; I had feared that it
would have been earlier. My old tetchy friend here is just the man to
have arranged the marriage one day, and had the ceremony performed the
next. We must look about us." And full of such cogitations, the mayor
returned to his habitation.

On the Thursday week after this conversation a coach drew up, about
eight o'clock in the morning, at the gate of St Stephen's churchyard,
and Mr. Joseph Hanson, in all the gloss of bridal finery, newly clad
from top to toe, smiling and smirking at every instant, jumped down,
followed by John Parsons, and prepared to hand out his reluctant bride
elect, when Mr. Mallet, with a showy-looking middle-aged woman (a sort
of f