THB puritan's DAUGHTER. 257 



" your father and myself have sent for you, to see you made the wife of 

 this gentleinan." 



" His wife. Sir ? — I have been so some time." 



" True, true, mv pretty maiden ! but it was in secret, not before the 

 world. It should be so, that all may know you are such ; and now, in 

 your father's presence" — 



" My father. Sir? You know. Mark, I ever said he would do all I 

 wished, and yet you would not let me tell him. I knew he would not 

 refuse aught to make me happy. But come, do not let that angry frown 

 hang upon vour brow ; how often have you told nie that the brighest 

 day of your existence would be when you could call me your wife, be- 

 fore the world ; and now you can do so, you seem as I never yet beheld 

 you. 



" Sir, I am all readiness," said Mark hastily ; " there surely needs no 

 irksome delay." 



" Then let the ceremony proceed," said the stranger. The clergyman 

 advanced, and the soldiers having ranged themselves with an air of 

 devout attention, began the ceremony in a deep sonorous voice. Grace 

 looked first to one and then to another, to see if she could read in their 

 Countenances any explanation of the strange scene, but the solemn air 

 assumed by all save Mark gave no clue that enabled her to comprehend 

 its meaning. She uttered the responses as she was desired, wondering 

 within herself that it should be so different, and much longer than her 

 previous marriage ; and when the deep«toned fervent amen burst from 

 the stranger at the conclusion, she was still in the same state of wonder. 



The clergyman, drawing from his pocket some writing materials with 

 a roll of vellum, wrote out the customary form, which was signed by the 

 parties, and looking around for a fit person as a witness, the stranger 

 seized the roll, and taking a pen said, " sure there can be none more fit 

 aJid proper than myself," and hastily signing his name at the bottom, 

 presented the vellum to Sir Ralph — the eye of the latter for a moment 

 glanced at the signature, and to his amazement he beheld " Cromwell 

 Protector." 



Sir Ralph sank on his knee before the Protector, but the latter ex- 

 claimed with mach haste, — " Not to me. Sir Ralph, but to the Lord alone 

 should we bend the knee: his humblest servaht is not a fit object for 

 worship." 



" To you, Mark Eveleigh, I have to repeat the caution, that you never 

 set your foot again on English land, for, before a just heaven I swear, 

 no power on earth shall save you from the scaffold. It shall be my care 

 that you are seen to leave these shores, and to Fennimore I give you in 

 charge, not to lose sight of you until you are safe on board a vessel, and 

 its head turned away from hence. Yonder is the door, — your presence is 

 odious to the sight of every honest man." 



" Oh, no, no !" exclaimed Grace, — " you would not part us — we are 

 married now before the world, and surely you would not wish to separate 

 us thus, at the moment we have sworn to remain for ever together }" 



" My pretty maiden, it may seem unkind and cruel, thus to force you 

 apart, but he is a villain of the darkest hue, and as sweet and fair a 

 maiden as yourself would be ill mated with so despicable a being." 



" Oh, Sir ! you are mistaken ; indeed, you arc! you know him not, 

 he is true and honest. Before heaven, I will vouch his truth." 



