f that moment
prevalent in the county, used most unjustifiable wiles in trapping
this poor rich stranger. Miss Wainwright, as they all declared, had
not clothes to her back when she went to him. The matter had been got
up and managed in most indecent hurry, so as to rob the poor fellow
of any chance of escape. And thus all manner of evil things were
said, in which envy of the bride and pity of the bridegroom were
equally commingled.

But when the sudden news came that Mr. Talbot had bolted, and when
after a week's inquiry no one could tell whither Mr. Talbot had gone,
the objurgations of the neighbours were expressed in a different
tone. Then it was declared that Mr. Wainwright had sacrificed his
beautiful child without making any inquiry as to the character of
the stranger to whom he had so recklessly given her. The pity of the
county fell to the share of the poor beautiful girl, whose welfare
and happiness were absolutely ruined; and the parson was pulled to
pieces for his sordid parsimony in having endeavoured to rid himself
in so disgraceful a manner of the charge of one of his children.

It would be beyond the scope of my story to tell here of the anxious
family councils which were held in that parsonage parlour, during the
time of that daughter's courtship. There had been misgivings as to
the stability of the wooer; there had been an anxious wish not to
lose for the penniless daughter the advantage of a wealthy match;
the poor girl herself had been much cross-questioned as to her own
feelings. But let them have been right, or let them have been wrong
at that parsonage, the matter was settled, very speedily as we have
seen; and Mary Wainwright became Mrs. Talbot when she was still
almost a child.

And then Mr. Talbot bolted; and it became known to the Dorsetshire
world that he had not paid a shilling for rent, or for butcher's meat
for his human family, or for oats for his equine family, during the
whole period of his sojourn at Chevy-chase Lodge. Grand references
had been made to a London banker, which had been answered by
assurances that Mr. Talbot was as good as the Bank of England. But
it turned out that the assurances were forged, and that the letter
of inquiry addressed to the London banker had been intercepted. In
short, it was all ruin, roguery, and wretchedness.

And very wretched they all were, the old father, the young bride, and
all that parsonage household. After much inquiry something at last
wa