The Argosy — page 210: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

The House of Halliwell. IQ He was given to following the hounds more than to following his parishioners, was fond of gentlemen’s after-dinner society, but pain- fully awkward and nervous in the presence of ladies. Good-natured, unsuspicious, he was the very man to be imposed upon by Tom Elliot. Nearford assizes came on. And late on the evening of the first day, Monday, a confidential note from Lawyer Freer was delivered to the Reverend Simon Whistler, calling upon him to perform the marriage ceremony between his youngest daughter and Mr. Thomas Elliot the following morning at ten. Mr. Freer added a request that the matter might be kept strictly private, for reasons of which he would himself inform him when they met the following day. Now, if the Reverend Simon had an objection to perform one part of his clerical duty, it was that of tying the nuptial. knot. Baptisms he did not mind, burials he was quite at home in, but a gay wedding was his aversion, for the ladies and their fine clothes scared all his nerves and set them shaking. So he groaned aloud when he read the lawyer’s letter, but was forced to resign himself to what there was no help for. On Tuesday morning, at twenty-five minutes past nine precisely, Lawyer Freer bustled into the town-hall, in the wake of two coun- sellors, specially retained for Mrs. Agatha Needham. That lady herself, escorted by her nephew, and accompanied by several maiden friends, also arrived, just as the learned baron who presided at Nisi Prius took his seat. With difficulty places were found for Mrs. Needham’s party, for the Court was crammed, all the town being anxious to hear the great cause tried. ‘“ And now, aunt, as you are comfortably fixed, Ill be off to the infirmary for an hour. It’s my day to go round the wards with the surgeons.” ‘Why, Thomas?” uttered the startled Mrs. Agatha, ‘ you’ll never think of leaving us unprotected! Mr. Dicks will excuse you on so important an occasion as this. ‘Those gentlemen in wigs are staring here very unpleasantly already. How extremely ugly they are.” “Staring, are they,” cried Tom. “Tl go and stop that. Just one moment, aunt; you'll take no harm. Back in a brace of _ shakes.” At ten o’clock the Reverend Mr. Whistler was in St. Luke’s vestry, putting on his surplice. He had not to wait long for the wedding party. It consisted only of Mr. Elliot, Louisa Freer (in her every-day clothes and a thick black veil), and a strange gentle- man as groomsman. “This is sadly unfortunate, Mr. Whistler,” began Tom, in his off- hand manner, ‘‘ my aunt’s cause is on, and everybody’s at it. Mrs. Agatha is in Court, Miss Freer, and other witnesses. Mr. Freer never would have fixed the wedding for to-day had he thought the _ cause would come on before to-morrow. Of course he is obliged to Gomiilcaooks (S©) im