Laura; 'we
shall scarcely get there before midnight.'

'Oh, you'll be there much earlier. It is now past six; in less than ten
minutes you can be _en route_. I shall not cause you much delay.'

Ah, thought I, the good Father is still dreaming about his album; we
must indulge his humour, which, after all, is but a poor requital for
all his politeness.

As we entered the parlour of the 'Toison d'Or,' we found the host in all
the bravery of his Sunday suit, with a light-brown wig, and stockings
blue as the heaven itself, standing waiting our arrival. The hostess,
too, stood at the other side of the door, in the full splendour of
a great quilted jupe, and a cap whose ears descended half-way to her
waist. On the table, in the middle of the room, were two wax-candles, of
that portentous size which we see in chapels. Between them there lay a
great open volume, which at a glance I guessed to be the priest's
album. Not comprehending what the worthy host and hostess meant by their
presence, I gave a look of interrogation to the _pere_, who quickly
whispered--

'Oh, it is nothing; they are only the witnesses.'

I could not help laughing outright at the idea of this formality, nor
could Laura refrain either when I explained to her what they came for.
However, time passed; the jingle of the bells on the mules' harness
warned us that our equipage waited, and I dipped the pen in the ink and
handed it to Laura.

'I wish he would excuse me from performing this ceremony,' said she,
holding back; 'I really am quite enough ashamed already.'

'What says mademoiselle?' inquired the _pere_, as she spoke in English.

I translated her remark, when he broke in, 'Oh, you must comply; it's
only a formality, but still every one does it.'

'Come, come,' said I, in English, 'indulge the old man; he is evidently
bent on this whim, and let us not leave him disappointed.'

'Be it so, then,' said she; 'on your head, Mr. O'Leary, be the whole of
this day's indiscretion'; and so saying, she took the pen and wrote her
name, 'Laura Alicia Muddleton.'

'Now, then, for my turn,' said I, advancing; but the _pere_ took the pen
from her fingers and proceeded carefully to dry the writing with a scrap
of blotting-paper.

'On this side, monsieur,' said he, turning over the page; 'we do the
whole affair in orderly fashion, you see. Put your name there, with the
date and the day of the week.'

'Will that do?' said I, as I pushed over the book towards h