share of
it; for he roat back the following letter to his father, as well as a
flaming one to Miss:

"Thank you, my dear father, for your kindness in that awkward business.
You know how painfully I am situated just now, and can pretty well guess
BOTH THE CAUSES of my disquiet. A marriage with my beloved Matilda will
make me the happiest of men. The dear girl consents, and laughs at
the foolish pretensions of her mother-in-law. To tell you the truth, I
wonder she yielded to them so long. Carry your kindness a step further,
and find for us a parson, a license, and make us two into one. We are
both major, you know; so that the ceremony of a guardian's consent is
unnecessary.

"Your affectionate

"ALGERNON DEUCEACE.

"How I regret that difference between us some time back! Matters are
changed now, and shall be more still AFTER THE MARRIAGE."

I knew what my master meant,--that he would give the old lord the money
after he was married; and as it was probble that miss would see the
letter he roat, he made it such as not to let her see two clearly into
his present uncomfrable situation.

I took this letter along with the tender one for Miss, reading both
of 'em, in course, by the way. Miss, on getting hers, gave an
inegspressable look with the white of her i's, kist the letter, and
prest it to her busm. Lord Crabs read his quite calm, and then they
fell a-talking together; and told me to wait awhile, and I should git an
anser.

After a deal of counseltation, my lord brought out a card, and there was
simply written on it,

To-morrow, at the Ambassador's, at Twelve.

"Carry that back to your master, Chawls," says he, "and bid him not to
fail."

You may be sure I stept back to him pretty quick, and gave him the card
and the messinge. Master looked sattasfied with both; but suttnly
not over happy; no man is the day before his marridge; much more his
marridge with a hump-back, Harriss though she be.

Well, as he was a-going to depart this bachelor life, he did what every
man in such suckmstances ought to do; he made his will,--that is, he
made a dispasition of his property, and wrote letters to his creditors
telling them of his lucky chance; and that after his marridge he would
sutnly pay them every stiver. BEFORE, they must know his povvaty well
enough to be sure that paymint was out of the question.

To do him justas, he seam'd to be inclined to do the thing that was
right, now that it didn't put him