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 house, and was well looked on by everybody. And the young man—that's the Mr Lammeter as now is, for he'd niver a sister—soon begun to court Miss Osgood, that's the sister o' the Mr Osgood as now is, and a fine handsome lass she was—eh, you can't think—they pretend this young lass is like her, but that's the way wi' people as don't know what come before 'em. I should know, for I helped the old rector, Mr Drumlow as was, I helped him marry 'em."

Here Mr Macey paused; he always gave his narrative in instalments, expecting to be questioned according to precedent.

"Ay, and a partic'lar thing happened, didn't it, Mr Macey, so as you were likely to remember that marriage?" said the landlord, in a congratulatory tone.

"I should think there did—a very partic'lar thing," said Mr Macey, nodding sideways. "For Mr Drumlow—poor old gentleman, I was fond on him, though he'd got a bit confused in his head, what wi' age and wi' taking a drop o' summat warm when the service come of a cold morning. And young Mr Lammeter he'd have no way but he must be married in Janiwary, which, to be sure, 's a unreasonable time to be married in, for it isn't like a christening or a burying, as you can't help; and so Mr Drumlow—poor old gentleman, I was fond on him—but when he come to put the questions, he put 'em by the rule o' contrairy, like, and he says, 'Wilt thou have this man to thy wedded wife?' says he, and then he says, 'Wilt thou have this woman to thy wedded husband?' says he. But the partic'larest thing of