int, on the church-door,' interrupted Miss Lillerton.

'I hope not,' said Mr. Watkins Tottle, putting in another word, and
getting another glance.

'Certainly not,' replied Parsons. 'I dare say you wouldn't mind seeing
it in writing, though, in the church register--eh?'

'Register! What register?' inquired the lady gravely.

'Why, the register of marriages, to be sure,' replied Parsons, chuckling
at the sally, and glancing at Tottle. Mr. Watkins Tottle thought he
should have fainted for shame, and it is quite impossible to imagine what
effect the joke would have had upon the lady, if dinner had not been, at
that moment, announced. Mr. Watkins Tottle, with an unprecedented effort
of gallantry, offered the tip of his little finger; Miss Lillerton
accepted it gracefully, with maiden modesty; and they proceeded in due
state to the dinner-table, where they were soon deposited side by side.
The room was very snug, the dinner very good, and the little party in
spirits. The conversation became pretty general, and when Mr. Watkins
Tottle had extracted one or two cold observations from his neighbour, and
had taken wine with her, he began to acquire confidence rapidly. The
cloth was removed; Mrs. Gabriel Parsons drank four glasses of port on the
plea of being a nurse just then; and Miss Lillerton took about the same
number of sips, on the plea of not wanting any at all. At length, the
ladies retired, to the great gratification of Mr. Gabriel Parsons, who
had been coughing and frowning at his wife, for half-an-hour
previously--signals which Mrs. Parsons never happened to observe, until
she had been pressed to take her ordinary quantum, which, to avoid giving
trouble, she generally did at once.

'What do you think of her?' inquired Mr. Gabriel Parsons of Mr. Watkins
Tottle, in an under-tone.

'I dote on her with enthusiasm already!' replied Mr. Watkins Tottle.

'Gentlemen, pray let us drink "the ladies,"' said the Reverend Mr.
Timson.

'The ladies!' said Mr. Watkins Tottle, emptying his glass. In the
fulness of his confidence, he felt as if he could make love to a dozen
ladies, off-hand.

'Ah!' said Mr. Gabriel Parsons, 'I remember when I was a young man--fill
your glass, Timson.'

'I have this moment emptied it.'

'Then fill again.'

'I will,' said Timson, suiting the action to the word.

'I remember,' resumed Mr. Gabriel Parsons, 'when I was a younger man,
with what a strange compound of feelings I used to