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'Ay, ay--in ringen--but I was spaken in a spiritual sense o' this mornen's business o' mine up by the chancel rails there 'Twas very convenient to lug her here and marry her instead o' doen it at that twopenny-halfpenny town o' Budm'th Very convenient' 'Very There was a little fee for Master Crickett' 'Ah--well Money's money--very ht for the nation He coloured up like any h 'a mid colour up 'Tis no small matter for a man to play wi' fire' 'Whatever it may be to a woman,' said the clerk absently

'Thou'rt thinken o' thy wife, clerk,' said Gad Weedy 'She'll play wi'it again when thou'st got mildewed' 'Well--let her, God bless her; for I'm but a poor third man, I The Lord have ot his own at last What little white ears that --a small ear and a small tale--that was always one now! But Teddy's got her Poor chap, he was getten as thin as a herrief--so was she' 'Maybe she'll pick up now' 'True--'tis nater's lahich no ainsay Ah, well do I bear in mind what I said to Pa'son Raunham, about thy mother's family o' seven, Gad, the very first week of his cohters has that poor Weedy got, clerk?" he says "Six, sir," says I, "and every one of 'eive her this half-sovereign froood five minutes afterwards, when he found out my merry nater--'a did But there, 'tis over wi' me now Enteren the Church is the ruin of a man's wit for wit's nothen without a faint shadder o' sin' 'If so be Teddy and the lady had been kept apart for life, they'd both ha' died,' said Gad emphatically

'But now instead o' death there'll be increase o' life,' answered the clerk

'It all went proper well,' said the fifth bell-ringer 'They didn't flee off to Babylonish places--not they' He struck up an attitude --'Here's Master Springrove standen so: here's the married woman standen likewise; here they d'walk across to Knapwater House; and there they d'bide in the chimley corner, hard and fast' 'Yes, 'twas a pretty wedden, and well attended,' added the clerk