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92 A SHABBY GENTEEL STORY
Caroline Gann, I say, rushed into the passage, and leaped upon the
neck of Brandon, and kissed him, and called him her dear, dear,
dear darling George, and sobbed, and laughed, until George, taking
her round the waist gently, carried her into the little dingy parlour,
and closed the door behind him.
" Egad," cried Cinqbars, " this is quite a thene ! Hullo, Becky,
Polly, what's your name ?—bring uth up the breakfatht ; and I
hope you've remembered the thoda-water. Come along up thtairth,
Tufty my boy."
When Brandon came upstairs and joined them, which he did in
a minute or two, consigning Caroline to Becky's care, his eyes were
full of tears ; and when Cinqbars began to rally him in his usual
delicate way, Brandon said gravely, "No laughing, sir, if you
please ; for I swear that that lady before long shall be my wife."
" Your wife !—And what will your father say, and what will
your duns say, and what will Miss Goldmore say, with her hundred
thousand pounds ?" said Cinqbars.
"Miss Goldmore be hanged," said Brandon, "and the duns too;
and my father may reconcile it to himself as he can." And here
Brandon fell into a reverie.
" It's no use thinking," he cried, after a pause. " You see what
a girl it is, Cinqbars. I love her—by heavens, I'm mad with love
for her ! She shall be mine, let what will come of it. And besides,"
he added, in a lower tone of voice, " why need, why need my father
know anything about it ?"
" 0 flames and furies, what a lover it is !" exclaimed his friend.
" But, by Jove, I like your spirit ; and hang all governors say I.
Stop—a bright thought. If you must marry, why here's Tom
Tufthunt, the very man to do your business." Little Lord Cinqbars
was delighted with the excitement of the affair, and thought to
himself, " By Jove, this is an intrigue !"
" What, is Tufthunt in orders ?" said Brandon.
" Yes," replied that reverend gentleman : " don't you see my
coat ? I took orders six weeks ago, on my fellowship. Cinqbars'
governor has promised me a living."
" And you shall marry George here, so you shall."
" What, without a licence ?"
. " Hang the licence !—we won't peach, will we, George ?"
" Her family must know nothing of it," said George, " or they
would."
" Why should they ? Why shouldn't Tom marry you in this
very room, without any church or stuff at all ?"
Tom said : " Youll hold me out, my Lord, if anything comes