herself.
Master will persuade you, mim, I'm sure. There's Miss Dolly's a-going
you know, and master, and you, and all so happy and so comfortable. Oh!'
cried Miggs, turning on the tears again, previous to quitting the room
in great emotion, 'I never see such a blessed one as she is for the
forgiveness of her spirit, I never, never, never did. Not more did
master neither; no, nor no one--never!'

For five minutes or thereabouts, Mrs Varden remained mildly opposed to
all her husband's prayers that she would oblige him by taking a day's
pleasure, but relenting at length, she suffered herself to be persuaded,
and granting him her free forgiveness (the merit whereof, she meekly
said, rested with the Manual and not with her), desired that Miggs might
come and help her dress. The handmaid attended promptly, and it is but
justice to their joint exertions to record that, when the good lady came
downstairs in course of time, completely decked out for the journey, she
really looked as if nothing had happened, and appeared in the very best
health imaginable.

As to Dolly, there she was again, the very pink and pattern of good
looks, in a smart little cherry-coloured mantle, with a hood of the same
drawn over her head, and upon the top of that hood, a little straw hat
trimmed with cherry-coloured ribbons, and worn the merest trifle on one
side--just enough in short to make it the wickedest and most provoking
head-dress that ever malicious milliner devised. And not to speak of the
manner in which these cherry-coloured decorations brightened her eyes,
or vied with her lips, or shed a new bloom on her face, she wore such
a cruel little muff, and such a heart-rending pair of shoes, and was so
surrounded and hemmed in, as it were, by aggravations of all kinds, that
when Mr Tappettit, holding the horse's head, saw her come out of the
house alone, such impulses came over him to decoy her into the chaise
and drive off like mad, that he would unquestionably have done it, but
for certain uneasy doubts besetting him as to the shortest way to
Gretna Green; whether it was up the street or down, or up the right-hand
turning or the left; and whether, supposing all the turnpikes to be
carried by storm, the blacksmith in the end would marry them on credit;
which by reason of his clerical office appeared, even to his excited
imagination, so unlikely, that he hesitated. And while he stood
hesitating, and looking post-chaises-and-six at Dolly, out cam