James Harmer, with a bow which he made as courtly as he knew how, offered his arm to the curious, little, old lady; and strange it was to see her small, richly-clad, upright figure amongst the simple group before the altar that day.  Many there were who wondered what had brought her, and amongst the party themselves none could answer the question.  It appeared to be one of those freaks for which, in old days, Lady Scrope had made herself famous throughout London, and the habit of which had not been overcome, although the opportunities were growing smaller with advancing years.

She insisted on accompanying the party back to Mary Harmer’s cottage.  A simple collation was awaiting them before they travelled back to the city.  Lady Scrope looked with the greatest interest and curiosity at the cottage; received the inquiring advances of Fido very graciously; made the boys tell her all the history of his attaching himself to them; and finally made herself the most entertaining and agreeable guest at the board, although the sharpness of her speech and the acid favour of some of her remarks bred a little uneasiness in some of her auditors.

Nevertheless the time passed pleasantly enough; and when the hands of the clock pointed to the hour of eleven, the lady rose to her feet and remarked incisively: 

“My coach will be here immediately, if the varlets play me not false.  The bride, bridegroom, and the bride’s father shall drive with me.  I mean to see the maiden’s house before I return to mine own.”

A glowing colour was in Gertrude’s face.  Now she began to have a clearer idea why Lady Scrope was there.  Reuben had been to her once, and had asked her approval of their plan to expend the bulk of the dowry she had, with such eccentric and unaccountable generosity, bestowed upon the bride, upon the purchase of the house which had been for many generations in the family of her father, and which she loved well from old associations.

Reuben was going to set up in business for himself now.  He had long been contemplating this step, since his father’s trade was increasing steadily.  They would now be partners, Reuben taking one branch of the industry, and leaving his father the other.  With the changes in fashions, changes in the manufacture of Court luxuries became necessary.  Reuben would advance with the times, his father would remain where he was before.  It was a plan which had been carefully considered by both father and son for long, and would have been earlier carried out had it not been for the disastrous stoppage of all trade during the visitation of the plague.

Now, however, London seemed as gay as ever.  Orders were pouring in.  It was wonderful how little the gaps in the ranks seemed to be heeded.  It was scarcely, even amongst the upper classes, that persons troubled to wear the deep mourning for departed friends which, under ordinary circumstances, they would have done.  The great wish of all appeared to be to forget the awful visitation as fast as possible, and to drown the memory of it in feasting and revelry.  And this spirit, however little to the liking of a godly man like James Harmer, was nevertheless good for his trade.