tenderness and tears.  They could only meet at the house of Mary Bromley, the bride’s-maid, but then the interviews between them were as frequent as Mark’s duty would allow.  The result was that Bridget prevailed, and the young husband went up to Bristol and candidly related all that had passed, thus revealing, in less than a week, a secret which it was intended should remain hid for at least two years.

Doctor Woolston was sorely displeased, at first; but the event had that about it which would be apt to console a parent.  Bridget was not only young, and affectionate, and beautiful, and truthful; but, according to the standard of Bristol, she was rich.  There was consolation in all this, notwithstanding professional rivalry and personal dislikes.  We are not quite certain that he did not feel a slight gratification at the thought of his son’s enjoying the fortune which his rival had received from his wife, and which, but for the will of the grandfather, would have been enjoyed by that rival himself.  Nevertheless, the good Doctor did his duty in the premises.  He communicated the news of the marriage to Doctor Yardley in a very civilly-worded note, which left a fair opening for a settlement of all difficulties, had the latter been so pleased.  The latter did not so please, however, but exploded in a terrible burst of passion, which almost carried him off in a fit of apoplexy.

Escaping all physical dangers, in the end, Doctor Yardley went immediately to Philadelphia, and brought his daughter home.  Both Mark and Bridget now felt that they had offended against one of the simplest commands of God.  They had not honoured their father and their mother, and even thus early came the consciousness of their offence.  It was in Mark’s power, however, to go and claim his wife, and remove her to his father’s house, notwithstanding his minority and that of Bridget.  In this last respect, the law offered no obstacle; but the discretion of Doctor Woolston did.  This gentleman, through the agency of a common friend, had an interview with his competitor, and they talked the matter over in a tolerably composed and reasonable temper.  Both the parents, as medical men, agreed that it would be better that the young couple should not live together for two or three years, the very tender age of Bridget, in particular, rendering this humane, as well as discreet.  Nothing was said of the fortune, which mollified Doctor Yardley a good deal, since he would be left to manage it, or at least to receive the income so long as no legal claimant interfered with his control.  Elderly gentlemen submit very easily to this sort of influence.  Then, Doctor Woolston was exceedingly polite, and spoke to his rival of a difficult case in his own practice, as if indirectly to ask an opinion of his competitor.  All this contributed to render the interview more amicable than had been hoped, and the parties separated, if not friends, at least with an understanding on the subject of future proceedings.