in his old place in my esteem; and I could not help again holding out my hand to him at the conclusion of his denunciation of the Brandyball iniquity, as a token of my satisfaction at the course he had pursued,

"I admit the difficulties in which you were placed, Mr. Sniggs," said I, "and all I shall beg you to do is to forget whatever may have been unpleasant to either of us in the past affair. It is now my duty to look forward and to see what is the best and wisest course to pursue."

"I have, of course," said Sniggs, "no right to advise nor to meddle in your family concerns I have eased my conscience, and will take my leave, observing only, that my services in any way professional or unprofessional are at your command."

Sniggs was really affected, and, as is the case where the feeling is strong and genuine, was anxious to say as little as possible; he was-to put the case plainly and in a homely way -ashamed of himself; ashamed, partly because he had suffered himself to be alienated from the family through which he had become acquainted with Cuthbert, and partly because he had been too evidently made the dupe of the "lady," of whom, be it remembered, when he was entirely in our interest, he intimated, with one of his cunningest looks, that he “knew something."

The questions which now had to be debated by Wells and myself were these-whether I should join Nubley at Bath, and unite my force with his, in order, if possible, to prevent the marriage, leaving Jane at Ashmead, but communicating to Harriet the real cause of my journey; or whether she should be forthwith apprised of the projected destruction of our hopes and fortunes; for it became, as I have before said, no longer a point of mere affection and anxiety to save Cuthbert from misery and dependence, but a matter of serious consideration in a financial point of view. Cuthbert was the prop

"that did sustain my house;"

and every day's expenditure on my present scale of establishment was involving me in difficulties whence, if his liberality were, as it naturally would be, diverted into other channels, nothing could extricate me.

Tenderness for her feelings and an anxiety not to disturb the serenity of her mind, were to me powerful motives for not apprising my poor, sensitive, kind-hearted wife of the real state of the case; but Wells, who looked at these considerations with a greater share of philosophy than myself, founded

perhaps upon the fact that he had been married ten times as long as I had, and that the sufferer whom I wanted to save, was his daughter, pooh-poohed away my delicacy, and, wisely enough, perhaps, (although I confess I thought at the time somewhat harshly)—expressed a decided opinion that the time for concealment was past; and that, if I felt my going to Nubley, and with Nubley to Cuthbert, were essential to the well-doing of the family, I ought to go-and not only go, but plainly tell my wife the reasons for my journey, as well as all the circumstances connected with Sniggs's recantation, the attempt of Mrs. Brandyball, and the design of abstracting poor Jane.

This latter scheme, however much it betrayed the artifices and treachery of Mrs. Brandyball, and however much I should, and I knew my wife would, have regretted the separation from the girl whose estimable qualities, in spite of bad education and example, were daily developing themselves, was one which I felt it would be necessary that we should eventually be compelled to acquiesce in. My means, when thrown upon my own resources, would not permit me to increase my family circle by other means than those which might naturally be supposed to make` periodical additions to it; and although as a temporary arrangement, under totally different circumstances, our having little Jenny with us was most agreeable, it became a question whether, if I did undertake the expedition to Bath, I ought not so far even immediately to adopt the lady's views as to make the poor child my unwilling companion upon the occasion.

After a certain time passed in deliberation, it was decided that Harriet should be made acquainted with all the circumstances, and that her opinion, as well as that of her mother, should be taken as to the necessity of my proceeding to Bath, inasmuch as it appeared by Nubley's letter that he himself proposed taking some active measure the morning after he had written, in which case I should arrive too late to be of I knew the moment this course was agreed upon any use. that I should not be permitted to go. Harriet, born and bred in Blissfold, had a horror of a journey, and, although she had so heroically undertaken one herself, full of peril and enterprise for my sake, it might have been that the circumstances attending that very expedition had impressed her with the dread she has always evinced when any thing like my going any where was proposed. For this her reverend father called her foolish. I loved her for it, for I thought it affectionate.

In the mean while, Mr. Nubley, whose benevolence was of the active sort, and who did infinitely more than he ever professed, had no sooner breakfasted than he proceeded to Montpelier, having first earnestly questioned his servant as to his certainty that Hutton had given him the information about the wedding which he had reported.

When he reached the house, Cuthbert was not visible: this, if his anxiety to be at work had not hurried his call, Nubley might have anticipated. The lady was, however, up and down, and dressed in the most captivating morning costume, borrowed, as one might have supposed, from the frontispiece of one of the magazines of fashion. A cap and curls, which would have suited a girl of sixteen, graced her head, and a tight-fitting dove-coloured silk dress encased her comely figure; and as Nubley looked at her well-ringed fingers and a watch (which, upon the principle of the maid-servant in the farce, of wearing all the finery she had in the world at once, she had suspended from a massive gold chain), he thought to himself—at least it is to be hoped it went no further at the moment" That old fool has given her all these fine rattletraps."

To tell truth, according to Nubley's own account of the affair, it appeared very much as if Mrs. Brandyball had a strong suspicion that his appearance at the early hour at which he presented himself was somehow connected with a desire to counteract her favourite, indeed, her grand, great, and conclusive project: he saw, of course, her disinclination to facilitate an interview between him and Cuthbert. But Nubley was neither to be driven from his post, nor beaten from his determination.

"I can wait, Ma'am," said he, sitting himself down in a very comfortable arm-chair. "I know Cuthbert's habits: slow, Ma'am-quiet, Ma'am ; but I don't mind."

Seeing that the "old friend" was immovable, she smiled, twiggled her ringlets with a perfect confidence that they would not come off, and said, with a sort of titter, “You shall know the moment he is ready to see you :" and went out of the door, scarcely wide enough to permit the exit, wriggling and giggling in all the security of having completely succeeded in "bagging her bird."

And so she had. It might appear incredible, but it is true, that poor Cuthbert really and truly believed that he had inspired that fair mountain of flesh with a sentimental attachment for him-that she loved him, and for himself alone. These infatuations are too common to permit the thing to be

doubted; and, when Nubley began to talk to him on the subject, so far from either denying or extenuating the absurdity, he eloquently, for him, not only defended and justified the . union, but enlarged upon its advantages, and the comfort he should derive from the establishment of a domestic circle, in which he should always be secure of society and repose, and to which he could invite such of his friends and acquaintances as were worthy of such a favour. At the end of which very fine speech he shook Nubley by the hand in the most affectionate manner.

"You are an old fool," thought Nubley. "But," said he, "why were you not satisfied at Ashmead? Why did you throw yourself into an entirely new-eh-connexion ?-don't you see-eh ?"

Gil

"Ashmead," said Cuthbert, "was no place for me. bert's wife is all prejudice: he is henpecked-eh? I can't take the trouble to explain all-that-eh-would wear me out; but-no-here is a person who has no ties—no—eh— oh dear, dear! how my head aches!-but-what I mean is, she will be entirely devoted to me—and—”

"But," said Nubley, "of course I do not mean to make any indelicate inquiries. You and I have been so long connected in business, I may, perhaps don't you see?—without offence, just ask one question-Did you not, when you came home and established yourself at Ashmead, give Gilbert reason to expect that the establishment there was to be supported at your charge?"

"Why," said Cuthbert, "I declare I do not quite recollect. I thought I should like to live there; and I rather fancy I said something of the kind: but the way in which they treated poor Tom

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Which," said Nubley, "you seem to have forgotten in particularly good time, since you have fixed your weddingday so soon after his funeral."

"Ah!" said Cuthbert, "all that, as we know, is prejudice. Here in England they keep dead people for a week before they bury them; in India, you know, we pop them into the ground twelve hours after they die. I want comfort, support, and companionship; and it seems that the way in which I am domesticated with the exemplary Mrs. Brandyball here is giving cause of scandal."

"Of what?" said Nubley.

"Scandal," said Cuthbert, raising himself with considerable difficulty on his sofa. "My stay here has been thought improper; and in fact some of her pupils have left her school

in consequence: and, finding her a most agreeable companion, I am bound to marry her, and marry her I will."

Having said which, the rallying of all his courage to pronounce the dictum proved too much for him, and he sank backwards on the pillow of his couch, in a state of most melancholy exhaustion.

"Yes," said Nubley, "but what is to become of Gilbert and his wife and child, and all that? There is an establishment set up at your desire, and by your own direction :—you marry this woman-you adopt altogether the children of your former wife-what is to happen to Gilbert ?—I should like to hear what you say to that."

"Gilbert," said my brother-" why-what should happen to him he never did any thing I asked him to do-he might, as you know, have been as rich as either of us; but he never would exert himself-never came out to me, after twenty separate invitations. Eh?-dear me-this fatigues me-but-well, and when I accidentally met him—”

46

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He was going out," said Nubley—"eh, don't you see ?— there I had you, old fellow-but what is that to the purpose? you came home-you put him up where he is-now, comedon't haggle and boggle. What do you mean to do for him?" Nothing, Sir," said Cuthbert, "nothing. Mrs. Brandyball tells me that they hate me-laugh at me-despise meand were delighted to get rid of me. Kitty dear soul-the most ingenuous creature that ever breathed-says the same; so does Sniggs-an excellent man-as Mrs. Brandyball tells me.'

"Tells ye!" said Nubley-" Gad!-why the deuce do you care for what any body tells you ?-can't you see with your own eyes?-hear with your own ears ?—walk with your

"No, no," said Cuthbert, "I can't-I have neither nerve nor constitution for all that desperate exercise."

"Then you will be made a fool of," said Nubley-" a laughing-stock-a May-game! What! discard your brother, who loves you-who would sacrifice any thing for you-for this brazen-faced B

"What?" said Cuthbert.

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-Brandyball," said Nubley," who knew nothing of you, nor you of her. All I can say is"

"Mr. Nubley," said Cuthbert, again raising himself in his chaise longue-" forgive me—I never took the liberty of making any observations upon your domestic ménage—you'll forgive me, Sir—may I ask you just to ring the bell?"