s of his daughter, remember you
know nothing about the affair; you'll lose your place, I'm afraid, if
you do."

"You surely don't mean 'tis Mr. Delancey's child?"

"Aye, the same."

"Can it be possible! It will, no doubt, be a bitter blow to him; but I
believe you worthy of any man's daughter, Wilkins. God bless you."

Wilkins smiled at Guly's warmth, and, waving his hand, the carriage
rolled out of sight; and Della, trustful and happy, laid her head upon
the broad breast which had vowed to cherish her, and wept her tears, and
smiled her smiles--a bride.

Guly, after seeing Blanche safely to her home, turned away, and hurried
to his room, thinking over the strange events of the day, and wondering
what the morrow would bring.

In wedding Della, Wilkins had accomplished two things; he gratified the
love he really felt for her, and, at the same time, in so terribly
wounding Mr. Delancey's pride, he had amply revenged himself for the
long years spent in his service in that humility of manner which the
merchant ever seemed to exact from his clerks, as though they were but
slaves of a whiter hue.

CHAPTER XXXIII.

"Oh! that such a son should stand before a father's face."

Byron.

It was early in the morning, the day after Della's elopement, and Mr.
Delancey, who had just risen, was walking back and forth upon the
verandah, sipping his cup of strong coffee, nor dreaming of the shadow
which had fallen on his hearth-stone. He was interrupted by a servant,
who came to inform him that a messenger had just been sent, to say that
one of the men, suspected of committing the robbery, had been arrested,
and if he chose to see him, his case would come on the first one; and he
might go early to the Recorder's Office of the Second Municipality.

Mr. Delancey decided to go; and without waiting for breakfast, which was
always served late, he ordered his carriage, and drove directly to the
spot.

When he entered the court-room, Guly was just giving in his testimony,
and the crowd, that had congregated round, prevented the merchant from
catching a glimpse of the prisoner. Guly gave his evidence in a clear,
concise manner, recognizing the prisoner as the man he had seen in the
store on the night of the burglary.

"I have here," he added, drawing a small parcel from his pocket,
"something which was found by my employer's negro, in cleaning up the
bow-window, the morning after the theft. He supposed it belonged