THEY ARE OFF.—THEY ARE MARRIED. 145

pieces o. printed cotton, and one of shot “silk, which
were in progress of gown-making. Mrs. Cope was in
possession of her little parlour again ; her lodgers
were gone!

‘What ; was he in your debt for sealing-wax and
such things?” asked Mrs. Cope, in reply to Reynolds's
sudden exclamation at hearing that they left the day
before.

“Where are they gone?” he inquired.

Mrs. Cope could not tell; it seemed all a sudden
thing ; the old gentleman had come home after being
away for three days. He seemed very poorly and
out of spirits when he went, but when he came back
he was quite another person ; he sent out for half
a pound of cheese, a beefsteak, and a pot of porter,
and had a good supper. He seemed to have plenty
of money ; he was up all night packing up his things.
The daughter was not half as cheerful ; she sat
painting at those things for Mrs. Bishop, and sweet
pretty things they were. Mrs, Cope’s girl took them
home. Mrs. Bishop, she said, wanted something else
painted, and she wished her to go there, and then she
would pay her for them all together. The father, how-
ever, would not let her go, nor somewhere else, where
she wanted to go, and she cried even—but the old
gentleman was angry, and would not let her. He
said there was not time. He said that he had met
with a friend, and that they must meet him that day
—so they went by coach to Lichfield, he outside, and
she in. She seemed quite down-hearted at going, and
said that Mrs.Cope must take, for her own trouble, the
guinea and a half which Mrs, Bishop owed, and she
had left a bag worked with beads, and a very pretty
bunch of wax roses for Miss Kendricks, with her

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