ir great relief, up came the
diligence. The doctor prepared to take his place in the interior, when
the conductor politely informed him that the vehicle stopped there a
quarter of an hour.

"In that case I will not abandon my friends," said the doctor,
affectionately.

One of his friends gnashed his teeth at this mark of affection. But
Josephine smiled sweetly.

At last he was gone; but it wanted ten minutes only to twelve.

Josephine inquired amiably, whether it would not be as well to postpone
matters to another day--meaning forever. "My ARDOR is chilled," said
she, and showed symptoms of crying at what she had gone through.

Camille replied by half dragging them to the mayor. That worthy received
them with profound, though somewhat demure respect, and invited them to
a table sumptuously served. The ladies, out of politeness, were about to
assent, but Camille begged permission to postpone that part until after
the ceremony.

At last, to their astonishment, they were married. Then, with a promise
to return and dine with the mayor, they went to the cure. Lo and behold!
he was gone to visit a sick person. "He had waited a long time for
them," said the servant.

Josephine was much disconcerted, and showed a disposition to cry again.
The servant, a good-natured girl, nosed a wedding, and offered to run
and bring his reverence in a minute.

Presently there came an old silvery-haired man, who addressed them all
as his children. He took them to the church, and blessed their union;
and for the first time Josephine felt as if Heaven consented. They took
a gentle farewell of him, and went back to the mayor's to dine; and
at this stage of the business Rose and Josephine at last effected a
downright simultaneous cry, apropos of nothing that was then occurring.

This refreshed them mightily, and they glowed at the mayor's table like
roses washed with dew.

But oh! how glad at heart they all were to find themselves in the
carriage once more going home to Beaurepaire.

Rose and Josephine sat intertwined on the back seat; Camille, the reins
in his right hand, nearly turned his back on the horse, and leaned back
over to them and purred to Rose and his wife with ineffable triumph and
tenderness.

The lovers were in Elysium, and Rose was not a little proud of her good
management in ending all their troubles. Their mother received them
back with great, and as they fancied, with singular, affection. She was
beginning to be