other,
and to say that he hoped to pay her a dutiful visit by and by; but, at
present, his business and near prospect of marriage made it difficult for
him to leave home. His brother replied with much frankness.

"My mother may do as she likes about having you to see her, but, for my
part, I don't want to catch sight of you on the premises again. When
folks have taken a new name, they'd better keep to their new
'quinetance."

David pocketed the insult along with the eighty-two pounds three, and
travelled home again in some triumph at the ease of a transaction which
had enriched him to this extent. He had no intention of offending his
brother by further claims on his fraternal recognition, and relapsed with
full contentment into the character of Mr. Edward Freely, the orphan,
scion of a great but reduced family, with an eccentric uncle in the West
Indies. (I have already hinted that he had some acquaintance with
imaginative literature; and being of a practical turn, he had, you
perceive, applied even this form of knowledge to practical purposes.)

It was little more than a week after the return from his fruitful
journey, that the day of his marriage with Penny having been fixed, it
was agreed that Mrs. Palfrey should overcome her reluctance to move from
home, and that she and her husband should bring their two daughters to
inspect little Penny's future abode and decide on the new arrangements to
be made for the reception of the bride. Mr. Freely meant her to have a
house so pretty and comfortable that she need not envy even a
wool-factor's wife. Of course, the upper room over the shop was to be
the best sitting-room; but also the parlour behind the shop was to be
made a suitable bower for the lovely Penny, who would naturally wish to
be near her husband, though Mr. Freely declared his resolution never to
allow _his_ wife to wait in the shop. The decisions about the parlour
furniture were left till last, because the party was to take tea there;
and, about five o'clock, they were all seated there with the best muffins
and buttered buns before them, little Penny blushing and smiling, with
her "crop" in the best order, and a blue frock showing her little white
shoulders, while her opinion was being always asked and never given. She
secretly wished to have a particular sort of chimney ornaments, but she
could not have brought herself to mention it. Seated by the side of her
yellow and rather withered lover, who, th