d none in her eyes; and thus,
fortunately for the peace of all parties, this prepossession ever
remained a secret except to herself.

So little did William conceive that his clownish cousin could rival him
in the affections of a woman of fashion, that he even slightly solicited
his father "that Henry might not be banished from the house, at least
till after the following day, when the great festival of his marriage was
to be celebrated."

But the dean refused, and reminded his son, "that he was bound both by
his moral and religious character, in the eyes of God, and still more, in
the eyes of men, to show lasting resentment of iniquity like his."

William acquiesced, and immediately delivered to his cousin the dean's
"wishes for his amendment," and a letter of recommendation procured from
Lord Bendham, to introduce him on board a man-of-war; where, he was told,
"he might hope to meet with preferment, according to his merit, as a
sailor and a gentleman."

Henry pressed William's hand on parting, wished him happy in his
marriage, and supplicated, as the only favour he would implore, an
interview with his uncle, to thank him for all his former kindness, and
to see him for the last time.

William repeated this petition to his father, but with so little energy,
that the dean did not grant it. He felt himself, he said, compelled to
resent that reprobate character in which Henry had appeared; and he
feared "lest the remembrance of his last parting from his brother might,
on taking a formal leave of that brother's son, reduce him to some tokens
of weakness, that would ill become his dignity and just displeasure."

He sent him his blessing, with money to convey him to the ship, and Henry
quitted his uncle's house in a flood of tears, to seek first a new
protectress for his little foundling, and then to seek his fortune.

CHAPTER XXX.

The wedding-day of Mr. William Norwynne with Miss Caroline Sedgeley
arrived; and, on that day, the bells of every parish surrounding that in
which they lived joined with their own, in celebration of the blissful
union. Flowers were strewn before the new-married pair, and favours and
ale made many a heart more gladsome than that of either bridegroom or
bride.

Upon this day of ringing and rejoicing the bells were not muffled, nor
was conversation on the subject withheld from the ear of Agnes! She
heard like her neighbours; and sitting on the side of her bed in her
little chambe