140 AGAIN, OLD AND NEW ACQUAINTANCE.

poor Edwards carried about. “To the inhabitant of
this house,” he read on the outside. Again there
seemed something pitiful in his fear. There was
nothing but innocent pens, sealing-wax, and wafers,
inclosed in @ wrapper, on which was printed, “ All
these for one shilling. The maker, who humbly
solicits the benevolent to purchase, will call again to-
morrow,”

“The man is poor, véry poor,” said Williams,
wrapping up the box again. “ When he calls, give
him this,” said he, giving the servant a guinea—“ he
is very poor, though importunately troublesome ; bid
him not to come here again, however ! ”

Miss Bassett, so far from having any quarrel with
her lover, or any suspicion of wrong against him,
received him with the most marked, yet delicate kind-
ness. Not one word did she say of the painful subject
of their letters, but she spoke with tears of the harsh-
ness and unkindness of her brothers. They had quar-
relled with her—she had no hope of reconciliation with
them—she wished to leave the neighbourhood.
Williams proposed their immediate marriage—she
made no opposition—she felt as if she had no friend
but himself. They arranged their plans rapidly.
Williams, amazed at his own good fortune, was
quite at his ease. The matriage, it was agreed, should
take place, secretly, early in the next week—they
would go at once to London, and from thence her
brothers should know that their Opposition was
useless, and from London they would go to the Con-
tinent, here they would remain till the family dis-
pleasure had cooled.

Whilst thus arranging so agreeably his affairs with
his affianced bride, his mind was busy about his