the same wild
manner.

"This delay is hard upon Dr. Hobbler, who was disturbed to accelerate
preparations for this joyful event when he had successfully extracted
the cork of his third bottle. I hope you will keep him free of the
censure of his superiors, for I take it this is beyond canonical
hours.--But here come Ellieslaw and my pretty cousin--prettier than
ever, I think, were it not she seems so faint and so deadly pale--Hark
ye, Sir Knight, if she says not YES with right good-will, it shall be no
wedding, for all that has come and gone yet."

"No wedding, sir?" returned Sir Frederick, in a loud whisper, the
tone of which indicated that his angry feelings were suppressed with
difficulty.

"No--no marriage," replied Mareschal, "there's my hand and glove on't."

Sir Frederick Langley took his hand, and as he wrung it hard, said in
a lower whisper, "Mareschal, you shall answer this," and then flung his
hand from him.

"That I will readily do," said Mareschal, "for never word escaped my
lips that my hand was not ready to guarantee.-So, speak up, my pretty
cousin, and tell me if it be your free will and unbiassed resolution to
accept of this gallant knight for your lord and husband; for if you have
the tenth part of a scruple upon the subject, fall back, fall edge, he
shall not have you."

"Are you mad, Mr. Mareschal?" said Ellieslaw, who, having been this
young man's guardian during his minority, often employed a tone of
authority to him. "Do you suppose I would drag my daughter to the foot
of the altar, were it not her own choice?"

"Tut, Ellieslaw," retorted the young gentleman, "never tell me of the
contrary; her eyes are full of tears, and her cheeks are whiter than
her white dress. I must insist, in the name of common humanity, that the
ceremony be adjourned till to-morrow."

"She shall tell you herself, thou incorrigible intermeddler in what
concerns thee not, that it is her wish the ceremony should go on--Is it
not, Isabella, my dear?"

"It is," said Isabella, half fainting--"since there is no help, either
in God or man."

The first word alone was distinctly audible. Mareschal shrugged up his
shoulders and stepped back. Ellieslaw led, or rather supported, his
daughter to the altar. Sir Frederick moved forward and placed himself by
her side. The clergyman opened his prayer-book, and looked to Mr. Vere
for the signal to commence the service.

"Proceed," said the latter.

But a voice, as if issuing