Mr Feeder was willing to take it for granted. But Mr Toots shook his
head, and wouldn't hear of that being possible.

'You see,' said Mr Toots, 'what I wanted in a wife was--in short, was
sense. Money, Feeder, I had. Sense I--I had not, particularly.'

Mr Feeder murmured, 'Oh, yes, you had, Toots!' But Mr Toots said:

'No, Feeder, I had not. Why should I disguise it? I had not. I knew that
sense was There,' said Mr Toots, stretching out his hand towards his
wife, 'in perfect heaps. I had no relation to object or be offended, on
the score of station; for I had no relation. I have never had anybody
belonging to me but my guardian, and him, Feeder, I have always
considered as a Pirate and a Corsair. Therefore, you know it was not
likely,' said Mr Toots, 'that I should take his opinion.'

'No,' said Mr Feeder.

'Accordingly,' resumed Mr Toots, 'I acted on my own. Bright was the day
on which I did so! Feeder! Nobody but myself can tell what the capacity
of that woman's mind is. If ever the Rights of Women, and all that kind
of thing, are properly attended to, it will be through her powerful
intellect--Susan, my dear!' said Mr Toots, looking abruptly out of the
windows 'pray do not exert yourself!'

'My dear,' said Mrs Toots, 'I was only talking.'

'But, my love,' said Mr Toots, 'pray do not exert yourself. You really
must be careful. Do not, my dear Susan, exert yourself. She's so easily
excited,' said Mr Toots, apart to Mrs Blimber, 'and then she forgets the
medical man altogether.'

Mrs Blimber was impressing on Mrs Toots the necessity of caution, when
Mr Feeder, B.A., offered her his arm, and led her down to the carriages
that were waiting to go to church. Doctor Blimber escorted Mrs Toots. Mr
Toots escorted the fair bride, around whose lambent spectacles two gauzy
little bridesmaids fluttered like moths. Mr Feeder's brother, Mr Alfred
Feeder, M.A., had already gone on, in advance, to assume his official
functions.

The ceremony was performed in an admirable manner. Cornelia, with her
crisp little curls, 'went in,' as the Chicken might have said, with
great composure; and Doctor Blimber gave her away, like a man who had
quite made up his mind to it. The gauzy little bridesmaids appeared
to suffer most. Mrs Blimber was affected, but gently so; and told the
Reverend Mr Alfred Feeder, M.A., on the way home, that if she could only
have seen Cicero in his retirement at Tusculum, she would not have had a
wish, now