note and the key of the door the moment it's
over. Bear witness," I went on, drowning
Mrs. Baggs's expostulations with the all-
important marriage-words, " that I take this
woman, Laura Knapton, for my lawful
wedded wife."

"In sickness and in health, in poverty and
wealth," broke in Mrs. Baggs, determining
to represent the clergyman as well as to be
the witness.

"Laura, dear," I said, interrupting in my
turn, " repeat my words. Say ' I take this
man, Francis Softly, for my lawful wedded
husband.'"

She repeated the sentence, with her face
very pale, with her dear hand cold and
trembling in mine

"For better for worse," continued the
indomitable Mrs. Baggs. "Little enough of the
Better, I'm afraid, and Lord knows how much
of the Worse!"

I stopped her again with the promised five-
pound note, and the key of the room-door.
" Now, ma'am," said I, " take off your
bonnet, and put your hair as tidy as you
please."

Mrs. Baggs raised her eyes and hands
to heaven, exclaimed " Disgraceful! " and
flounced out of the room in a passion. Such
was my Scotch marriage, as lawful a ceremony,
remember, as the finest family wedding
at the largest parish church in all England.

An hour passed; and I had not yet
summoned the cruel courage to communicate my
real situation to Laura. The entry of the
shock-headed servant-girl to lay the cloth,
followed by Mrs. Baggs, who was never out
of the way where eating and drinking
appeared in prospect, helped me to rouse
myself. I resolved to go out for a few minutes
to reconnoitre, and make myself acquainted
with any facilities for flight or hiding which
the situation of the house might present.
No doubt the Bow Street runner was lurking
somewhere; but he must, as a matter of
course, have heard, or informed himself of
the orders I had given relating to our
conveyance on to Edinburgh; and, in that case,
I was still no more in danger of his avowing
himself and capturing me, than I had been
at any previous period of our journey.

I am going out for a moment, love, to see
about the chaise," said I to Laura.

She suddenly looked up at me, with an
anxious searching expression. Was my face
betraying anything of my real purpose? I
hurried to the door before she could ask me
a single question.

The front of the inn stood nearly in the
middle of the principal street of the town.
No chance of giving any one the slip in that
direction; and no sign, either, of the Bow
Street runner. I sauntered round with the
most unconcerned manner I could assume, to
the back of the house, by the inn-yard. A
door in one part of it stood half-open. Inside
was a bit of kitchen-garden, bounded by a
paling; beyond that some backs of detached
houses; beyond them, again, a plot of weedy
ground, a few wretched cottages, and the
open, heathery moor. Good enough for
running away, but terribly bad for hiding.

I returned disconsolately to the inn. Walking
along the passage towards the staircase,
I suddenly heard footsteps behind me—
turned round, and saw the Bow Street runner
(clothed again in his ordinary costume, and
accompanied by two strange men) standing
between me and the door.

"Sorry to stop you from going to
Edinburgh, Mr. Softly," he said. " But you're
wanted back at Barkingham. I've just found
out what you have been travelling all the
way to Scotland for; and I take you
prisoner, as one of the coining gang. Take it
easy, sir. I've got help, you see; and you
can't throttle three men, whatever you may
have done at Barkingham with one."

He handcuffed me as he spoke. Resistance
was hopeless. I could only make an
appeal to his mercy on Laura's account,

Give me ten minutes," I said, " to break
what has happened to my wife. We were
only married an hour ago. If she knows this
suddenly, it may be the death of her."

" You've led me a nice dance on a wrong
scent," answered the runner, sulkily. " But
I never was a hard man where women are
concerned. Go up-stairs, and leave the door
open, so that I can see in through it if I
like. Hold your hat over your wrists, if you
don't want her to see the handcuffs."

I ascended the first flight of stairs, and my
heart gave a sudden bound as if it would
burst. I stopped, speechless and helpless, at
the sight of Laura standing alone on the
landing. My first look at her face told me
she had heard all that had passed in the
passage. She passionately struck the hat
with which I had been trying to hide the
handcuffs out of my fingers, and caught me
tightly round the neck, so tight that her grasp
absolutely hurt me.

" I was afraid of something, Frank," she
whispered. " I followed you a little way. I
stopped here; I have heard everything,
Don't let us be parted! I am stronger than
you think me. I won't be frightened. I won't
cry. I won't alter in any way, if that man
will only take me with you!"

It is best for my sake, if not for the
reader's, to hurry over the scene that
followed. It ended with as little additional
wretchedness as could be expected. The
runner was resolute about keeping me
handcuffed, and taking me back, without a
moment's unnecessary waste of time, to
Barkingham; but he relented on other
points. Where he was obliged to order a
private conveyance, there was no objection
to Laura and Mrs. Baggs following it.
Where we got into a coach, there was no
harm, in their hiring two inside places.
I gave my watch, rings, and last guinea to