146 THEY ARE OFF.—THEY ARE MARRIED.

love, and she should never forget their kindness.
Mrs. Cope said that she took shame to herself for not
having been down with them, but one of her young
women was ill, and she was so full of work—but she
meant, if she could get a bit of time, to take them
that night.

Reynolds said that he would save her the trouble,
that he was going to his aunt's, and would carry them
with him.

Mrs. Cope’s tidings quite upset him—he thought of
Williams's words—‘* They are impostors. I have
seen him, and I am mistaken if they are not speedily
off.” Off they certainly were, and he had no doubt
but that Williams had a hand in it; but that they
were impostors he could not believe. His aunts
were of his opinion, and without knowing their
nephew's private reasons for anxiety, seconded all
that he said in behalf of their truth. It was impos-
sible that they could be impostors, the young lady
was too much like her own mother for that. Ohno;
Williams knew very well where they were ; he had
sent them out of the way, and, no doubt, would
provide for them ; there seemed to them nothing so
strange in his wishing them not to appear just now.
Did not people say that he was paying his addresses
to Lawyer Bassett’s sister? They could understand
exactly how it was, only they must confess that he
need not have told lies to an old friend, like their
nephew, that he might have known would never
make mischief or betray him in any way. But it was
like Williams, they said, and they had no right to be
surprised at it.

Reynolds became again easy in his mind, and
returned home to prepare for the morrow, which was