hand that did
it, ay, till my dying day. My poor Margaret! The butchers, the ruffians!
Six months' work cut out of my life, and nothing to show for it now.
See, they have hacked through your very face; the sweet face that every
one loves who knows it. Oh, heartless, merciless vipers!"

"Never mind, Gerard," said Margaret, panting. "Since this is how they
treat you for my sake--Ye rob him of my portrait, do ye? Well, then, he
shall have the face itself, such as it is."

"Oh, Margaret!"

"Yes, Gerard; since they are so cruel, I will be the kinder: forgive
me for refusing you. I will be your wife: to-morrow, if it is your
pleasure."

Gerard kissed her hands with rapture, and then her lips; and in a tumult
of joy ran for Peter and Martin. They came and witnessed the betrothal;
a solemn ceremony in those days, and indeed for more than a century
later, though now abolished.

CHAPTER X

The banns of marriage had to be read three times, as in our days; with
this difference, that they were commonly read on week-days, and the
young couple easily persuaded the cure to do the three readings in
twenty-four hours: he was new to the place, and their looks spoke
volumes in their favour. They were cried on Monday at matins and at
vespers; and, to their great delight, nobody from Tergou was in the
church. The next morning they were both there, palpitating with anxiety,
when, to their horror, a stranger stood up and forbade the banns, On
the score that the parties were not of age, and their parents not
consenting.

Outside the church door Margaret and Gerard held a trembling, and almost
despairing consultation; but, before they could settle anything, the man
who had done them so ill a turn approached, and gave them to understand
that he was very sorry to interfere: that his inclination was to further
the happiness of the young; but that in point of fact his only means of
getting a living was by forbidding banns: what then? "The young people
give me a crown, and I undo my work handsomely; tell the cure I was
misinformed, and all goes smoothly."

"A crown! I will give you a golden angel to do this," said Gerard
eagerly; the man consented as eagerly, and went with Gerard to the cure,
and told him he had made a ridiculous mistake, which a sight of the
parties had rectified. On this the cure agreed to marry the young couple
next day at ten: and the professional obstructor of bliss went home with
Gerard's angel. Like most of the