a minute's notice, and she goes on getting
fainter and fainter before my eyes. I'm a pretty fellow! How many
children have you got, ma'am?'

'Two, sir, besides Kit.'

'Boys, ma'am?'

'Yes, sir.'

'Are they christened?'

'Only half baptised as yet, sir.'

'I'm godfather to both of 'em. Remember that, if you please, ma'am.
You had better have some mulled wine.'

'I couldn't touch a drop indeed, sir.'

'You must,' said the single gentleman. 'I see you want it. I ought to
have thought of it before.'

Immediately flying to the bell, and calling for mulled wine as
impetuously as if it had been wanted for instant use in the recovery of
some person apparently drowned, the single gentleman made Kit's mother
swallow a bumper of it at such a high temperature that the tears ran
down her face, and then hustled her off to the chaise again, where--not
impossibly from the effects of this agreeable sedative--she soon became
insensible to his restlessness, and fell fast asleep. Nor were the
happy effects of this prescription of a transitory nature, as,
notwithstanding that the distance was greater, and the journey longer,
than the single gentleman had anticipated, she did not awake until it
was broad day, and they were clattering over the pavement of a town.

'This is the place!' cried her companion, letting down all the glasses.
'Drive to the wax-work!'

The boy on the wheeler touched his hat, and setting spurs to his horse,
to the end that they might go in brilliantly, all four broke into a
smart canter, and dashed through the streets with a noise that brought
the good folks wondering to their doors and windows, and drowned the
sober voices of the town-clocks as they chimed out half-past eight.
They drove up to a door round which a crowd of persons were collected,
and there stopped.

'What's this?' said the single gentleman thrusting out his head. 'Is
anything the matter here?'

'A wedding Sir, a wedding!' cried several voices. 'Hurrah!'

The single gentleman, rather bewildered by finding himself the centre
of this noisy throng, alighted with the assistance of one of the
postilions, and handed out Kit's mother, at sight of whom the populace
cried out, 'Here's another wedding!' and roared and leaped for joy.

'The world has gone mad, I think,' said the single gentleman, pressing
through the concourse with his supposed bride. 'Stand back here, will
you, and let me knock.'

Anything that makes a noise is sa