ttention to the narrative. All his thoughts were centred upon his
own position, and how Davis had done him.

"Where could you have been, my Lord, all that time, not to have heard of
this?" asked Twining.

"I was in Germany, in Nassau. I was fishing amongst the mountains," said
the other, in confusion.

"Fishing?--great fun, capital fun; like it immensely,--no expense,
rods and hooks,--rods and hooks; not like hunting,--hunting perfectly
ruinous,--I mean for men like myself, not, of course, for your
Lordship."

"Poor Lackington!" muttered Beecher, half unconsciously.

"Ah!" sighed Twining, sympathetically.

"I was actually on my way out to visit him, but one thing or another
occurred to delay me!"

"How unfortunate, my Lord; and, really, his anxieties about _you_ were
unceasing. You have not to be told of the importance he attached to the
title and name of your house! He was always saying, 'If Beecher were
only married! If we could find a wife for Annesley--'"

"A wife!" exclaimed the other, suddenly.

"Yes, my Lord, a wife; excellent thing, marriage,--capital thing,--great
fun."

"But it's done, sir; I 'm booked!" cried Beecher, vehemently. "I was
married on Sunday last."

"Wish your Lordship every imaginable joy. I offer my felicitations on
the happy event Is the Viscountess here?"

"She _is_ here," said Beecher, with a dogged sternness.

"May I ask the name of Lady Lackington's family?" said Twining,
obsequiously.

"Name,--name of her family!" echoed Beecher, with a scornful laugh.
Then, suddenly stopping, he drew his arm within Twining's, and in the
low voice of a secret confidence, said, "You know the world as well
as most men,--a deal better, I should say; now, can you tell me, is a
marriage of this kind binding?"

"What kind of marriage do you mean?"

"Why, a private marriage in an inn, without banns, license, or
publication of any kind, the ceremony performed by a fellow I suspect
is a degraded parson,--at least, I used to hear he was 'scratched' years
ago,--Classon."

"Paul Classon,--Holy Paul?--clever fellow, very ingenious. Tried to walk
into me once for a subscription to convert the Mandans Indians,--did n't
succeed,--what fun!"

"Surely no ministration of his can mean much, eh?"

"Afraid it does, my Lord; as your late brother used to observe, marriage
is one of those bonds in which even a rotten string is enough to
bind us. Otherwise, I half suspect some of us would try to slip our