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548 ‘
f‘ Dearest Ma and Lavvy, you both take sugar, I know.
And Pa (you good little Pa), you don’t take milk. John
does. Ididift before I was married ;,but I do now be-
cause John does. John dear, did you kiss Ma‘ and Lav-
vy. Oh,’ you did 1 Quite correct, John dear ;,but , I
didn’t see you do it, so I asked. Cut some bread and
butter, John ; that's a love. Ma likes it doubled. And
now youmust tell me, dearest Ma and Lavvy, upon your
wordsland honours I‘ Didn't you for amoineiit-just.a
moment-think I.was a dreadful little wretch when,I
wrote to say I had run away?” , ‘
Before Mrs. XVilfer could wave her gloves, the Mendi-
cant’s bride in her merriest affectionate manner went on
arrain. , . 1
B" I think it must have made you Iather cross, dear
Ma and Lavvy, and I know I deserved that you should
be very cross. v But you see I had been such a lieedless,
heartless creature,’and,had led you so to expect that I
should marry for money, and so to make sure that I was
incapable of marrying for love. that I thought you
couldn’t believe me. Because, you see, you didn't
know how. much of Good, Good, Good, I had learnt from
John. ‘Veil! So I was sly about it, and ashamed of
what you supposed me to be, and fearful that we couldn’t
( understand one another and might come to words, which
we should all be sorry for. afterwards, and so I said to
Johntlizit if he liked to take me without any fuss, he
might. And as he did like, I let him. And we were
married at Greenwich church in the presence of nobody
--except an unknown individual who dropped in,” here
her eyes sparkled more brightly, “ and half a pensioner.
And now, isn't it'nice; dearest Ma and Lavvy, to know
that no words have been said which any. of us can be
sorry for, and that we are all the best of friends at the
pleasantest of teas l” . , , , '
Having got up and kissed themagain, she slipped back
t“ he!‘ Chill!’ (after a loop on the road to squeeze her hus- :
band round the neck) and again went on.
“ And now you. will naturally want to know, dearest
Ma and Lavvy, how we live,vand whatrwe have got to 3
live upon. ‘Valli And so we live on Blackheatli in
the charm-‘ingest of dolls’ houses, dc-lightfully fur-
nished, and we have a clever little servant -who is de-
cidedly pretty, and we are economical and orderly, and
do everything by clockwork,- and we have a hundredland
fifty pounds a year, and we have all we want, and more,
- And lastly, if you‘would like to know in confidence, as
perliapsyou may, what is my opinion of my husband,
my opinion is-that I almost love him !” '
“ And if you would like to know in confidence, as per.
haps you may,” said her husband, smiling, as he stood
by her side, without her having detected his approach,
“my opinion of my wife, my opinion is-.” But Bella
started up, and put her hand upon his lips. ;
f‘ Stop,lsir ! IN o, John, dearl Seriously‘! Please not
et a w ii e I want to be somethin ’ - '
ghan the doll in the doll’s house.” ‘ g so much W-(mhdex.
“ My darling, are you not?” , I . .
' “ Not half, not a quarter, so much worthier as I hope
you ma]y1somet day fintclll me ll Try me tlirough some re-
verse, 0 in- r me mu 1 some tria - .
after that, wliatyyou thiiikgof me.” and ten them
“ I will, my Life,” said John. “ I promise it." n
“ That’s my dear John.,. And you won’t speak word
now, will you ? ’.’ ‘ ‘ I
“ And I won't,” said John, with a very expressive look
of admiration around him. “speak a word now 1”
She laid her laughing cheek upon his breast to thank
him, and said, looking at the rest of them sideways out
of her brightcyes: “ I’ll go further, Pa and Ma. and
Lavvy. John don’t suspect it-he has no idea of it--but
I quite lovehim 1" . , .
.Even Mrs. IVilfer relaxed under the infiuence of her
inarried daughter, and seemed in a majestic manner to
imply remotely that if R. .VV. had been a more deserving
object, she too might have condescended to come down
from her pedestal for his beguileinent. Miss Lavinia
on the other hand, had strong doubts of the policy of 31,‘;
course of treatment, and whether it might not spoil Mr
Sampson, if experimented on,in the case of that young;
gentleman. R..W. himself was for his part convinced
that he was father of one of the most charming of gigs’
011.4 RLES ‘JDIOVKENS’ : WORKS.
and that Rokesmith was the most favoured of men,
which opinion, if propoundcd to him, Rokesmith would
probably not have contested. ' ‘ , .
The newly-married pairleft early, so that they might
walk at leisure to their starting-place from London, for
Greenwicli. At first they were very cheerful and talked
much ; but after a while, Bella fancied that her husband
was turning somewhat thoughtful. So she asked him :
, “John, dear, what’s the matter?” .‘ .
“Matter, my love?” - . y
. “ Von"t you tell rue,” said Bella, looking up into his
face, “ what you are thinking of ‘Z’’. .
“There’s not much in the thought, my soul. I was
thinking whether-you wouldn’t like me to be rich? ”
“ You rich, John 7”. repeated Bella, ‘shrinking a little.
“I mean,‘ really rich. , Say, as rich as Mr. Boiiinl
You would like that 7 ” > . v - ‘
“ I should be almost afraid to try, John dear. Washe
much the better for his wealth? VVas I much the better
for the little part I once had in it ‘I ”
“ But all people are not the worse for riclies,my own."
‘ “ Most people?” Bella mnsingly. suggested, with
raised eyebrows- . V . e , ,’
“Nor even most people, it may be hoped. If you
were rich, for instance, you would have a great power of
doing good to others”, ., .; .
“ Yes, ‘ sir, for instance,“ Bella -playfully rejoined ;
“ but should I exercise the power for instance ‘I And
again, sir,‘ for instance, should I, at the same time, have
a great power of doing harm to myself?’ ' v
Laughing and pressing herarni, hcretorted: “ But
still, again ?for- instance ; would . you exercise that
power‘I”g , . e V I .. . ‘
“I don’t know,” said Bella, thoughtfully shaking her
head, “I hope not." I think not. But it’s so easy to
hope not and think not, without the riches.”
“ VVhy don’t you say,‘ my darling-‘instead of that
‘ phrase-being poor?” he asked, looking earnestly at
er V . . , . .- we . .
“ VVhy don’t I say, being poor 1 Because I am not
poor.‘ Dear John, it's not possible that you suppose I
think we are poor? ” u w r
“I do, my love.”
“Oh John i” . V -.
“ Understand me, sweetheart. I know that I am rich
beyond all wealth in having you; but I think of you,
and thinkfor you. In such a dress as you are wearing
now, you first charmed me, and in no dress could yofl
ever look, to my thinking, more graceful or more beauti-
ful. But you have admired many finer dresses this V80’
:13)’ ; 3111,51 is it not natural that-I wish I could give them
0 you V , i ,
“It’s very. nice A that you should wish it, John. It
brings these tears of grateful pleasure into my eyes, to
hlear you say so with such tenderness. But I don’t want
t iem.”. -
“Again,” he pursued, “ we are now walking through
the muddy streets. I love those pretty feet so dea1'1)'r
that I feel as if I could notvbear the dirt to soil the 5019
of Y0)11‘ shoe. Is it not natural that I wish you 00“
ride in a carriage? ”v ‘ . 1 .
“It’s very nice,” said Bella, glancing downward at the
feet in question, “to know that you admire them 50
much, John dear, and since you do,vI am sorry that tiles”
shoes are a full size too large. But I don’t want a car-
riage, believe me." . I ,,
“ You would like one if you could have one, B91137
“I shouldn’t like it for its own sake, half so well 35
such a wish for it. Dear John, your wishes are 115 T931
to me as the wishes in the Fairy story, that were 1111 W1‘
filled as soon as spoken. lVisli me everything that you
can wish for the woman you dearly love, and I have llj
E0011 88 got it,’ John. I have better than got it, John I
. -They were not the less happy for such talk, and home
was not the less home for coming-‘after-it. Bella “'39
developing a perfect genius for home. I All the lovbs 8“
graces seemed (her husband thounrht) to have taken <10‘
mestic service with her,’ and to 1121;) her to make 110139
engaging. M. . ,. V ,.,
Her married life glided happily on. She was along? an
d”-)3 501'. after an early breakfast her husband YeP“”e.d
every m0"‘i‘l&‘ to the City, and did not returnunti their
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