bout to be provided with a wife exactly suited
for him. It may be said at the same time that Augusta Eardham was
equally lucky. She also had gotten all that she ought to have wanted,
had she known what to want. They were both of them incapable of what
men and women call love when they speak of love as a passion linked
with romance. And in one sense they were cold-hearted. Neither of
them was endowed with the privilege of pining because another person
had perished. But each of them was able to love a mate, when assured
that that mate must continue to be mate, unless separation should
come by domestic earthquake. They had hearts enough for paternal and
maternal duties, and would probably agree in thinking that any geese
which Providence might send them were veritable swans. Bickerings
there might be, but they would be bickerings without effect; and
Ralph Newton, of Newton, would probably so live with this wife of his
bosom, that they, too, might lie at last pleasantly together in the
family vault, with the record of their homely virtues visible to the
survivors of the parish on the same tombstone. The means by which
each of them would have arrived at these blessings would not redound
to the credit of either; but the blessings would be there, and it may
be said of their marriage, as of many such marriages, that it was
made in heaven, and was heavenly.

The marriage was to take place early in September, and the first
week in August was passed by Sir George and Lady Eardham and their
two younger daughters at Newton Priory. On the 14th Ralph was to be
allowed to run down to the moors just for one week, and then he was
to be back, passing between Newton and Brayboro', signing deeds and
settlements, preparing for their wedding tour, and obedient in all
things to Eardham influences. It did occur to him that it would
be proper that he should go down to Fulham to see his old friends
once before his marriage; but he felt that such a visit would be
to himself very unpleasant, and therefore he assured himself, and
moreover made himself believe, that, if he abstained from the visit,
he would abstain because it would be unpleasant to them. He did
abstain. But he did call at the chambers in Southampton Buildings; he
called, however, at an hour in which he knew that Sir Thomas would
not be visible, and made no second pressing request to Stemm for the
privilege of entrance.

He had great pride in showing his house and park and estate to