“Angry?  Dear heart, no! pleased as Punch! ’peared’s if a great weight was lifted offen her mind,” replied the latter.

“There again, Hannah!  What else did I tell you!  Herman’s mother is a Christian lady!  She ill-used me only when she thought I was bad; now Herman has owned his marriage, and she is pleased to find that it is all right!  Now isn’t that good?  Oh, I know I shall love her, and make her love me, too, more than any high-bred, wealthy daughter-in-law ever could!  And I shall serve her more than any of her own children ever would!  And she will find out the true worth of a faithful, affectionate, devoted heart, that would die to save her or her son, or live to serve both!  And she will love me dearly yet!” exclaimed Nora, with a glow of enthusiasm suffusing her beautiful face.

“Now, what upon the face of the yeth be that gal a-talking about?  I want to tell my story!” exclaimed Mrs. Jones, who had been listening indignantly, without comprehending entirely Nora’s interruption.

“Oh, I beg your pardon, Mrs. Jones,” laughed the latter, “I should not have jumped to the conclusion of your story.  I should have let you tell it in your own manner; though I doubt if you know all about it either, from the way you talk.”

“Don’t I, though!  I should like to know who knows more.”

“Well, now, tell us all about it!”

“You’ve gone and put me out now, and I don’t know where to begin.”

“Well, then, I’ll help you out—­what time was it that Mr. Brudenell acknowledged his private marriage?”

“There now; how did you know it was a private marriage?  I never said nothing about it being private yet!  Hows’ever, I s’pose you so clever you guessed it, and anyway you guessed right; it were a private marriage.  And when did he own up to it, you ask?  Why, not as long as he could help it, you may depend!  Not until his lawful wife actilly arove up at Brudenell Hall, and that was last night about one o’clock!”

“Oh, there you are very much mistaken; it was but seven in the evening,” said Nora.

“There now, again! how do you know anything about it?  Somebody’s been here afore me and been a-telling of you, I suppose; and a-telling of you wrong, too!” petulantly exclaimed the old woman.

“No, indeed, there has not been a soul here to-day; neither have we heard a word from Brudenell Hall!  Still, I think you must be mistaken as to the hour of the wife’s arrival, and perhaps as to other particulars, too; but excuse me, dear Mrs. Jones, and go on and tell the story.”

“Well, but what made you say it was seven o’clock when his wife arrove?” inquired the gossip.

“Because that was really the hour that I went up to Brudenell.  Hannah was with me and knows it.”

“Law, honey, were you up to Brudenell yesterday evening?”

“To be sure I was!  I thought you knew it!  Haven’t you just said that the marriage was not acknowledged until his wife arrived?”