"I know you won't say me nay, Kate, if it's only for the _news_ I've brought you express"--said Delamere, ardently, and imprinted a passionate kiss on her unresisting lips. "My sweet Kate! how I have thought of you in every part of the world in which I've been"--commenced Delamere, after having a second and a third and a fourth time pressed his lips upon those of his beautiful and blushing mistress; and Heaven only knows what other absurdities he might have been guilty of, when to Kate's inconceivable embarrassment, behold, a sudden turn brought them full in view of Lord and Lady De la Zouch and Mr. Runnington. "My dear, dear Miss Aubrey," cried Lord De la Zouch, "we have come to congratulate you on this great event!" and he grasped her affectionately by the hands, and then Lady De la Zouch embraced her future daughter-in-law, whose cheeks burned like fire, while those of Mr. Delamere tingled a little. "Upon my honor, sir, you seem to have been making hay while the sun shines," said his Lordship, in a low tone, and laughing, having left Miss Aubrey and Lady De la Zouch together for a few moments. "Dearest Lady De la Zouch, how did Charles bear it?" inquired Miss Aubrey. "He bore it with calmness, though he turned very pale; but poor Mrs. Aubrey was very painfully excited--it was really a most affecting scene. But she is much better now--shall we return to the house?--By the way," added she, slyly, "now you're _come into your fortune_, as the saying is, Kate--I--I suppose--eh?--Geoffrey has been talking nonsense to you!" Poor Kate blushed deeply, and burst into tears. That was a happy--happy day; and Mr. Runnington, having been compelled to stay to dinner, returned home at a late hour feeling already richly repaid for all his exertions. Miss Aubrey sat up for at least a couple of hours in her own room, writing, according to a promise she had made, a very long letter to Dr. Tatham; in which she gave him as full an account as she could, of the surprising and decisive event which had just happened. 'T was quite the letter of a daughter to a fond father--full of ardent affection, and joyous anticipations of seeing him again; but as to the other little incident of the day, which concerned herself personally, Kate paused--laid down her pen--resumed it--blushed--hesitated--trembled--and at length extinguished her taper, and retired to rest, saying to herself that she would _think_ of it, and make up her mind by the morning. The letter went off, however, after all, without the slightest allusion to the possibility of its lovely writer becoming a future Lady De la Zouch. But it is now high time that the reader should be put into possession of the important disclosures produced by the ecclesiastical inquiry; and we must for a while lose sight of the happy Aubreys, and also of the gloomy, discomfited Gammon, in order to become acquainted with the exact state of facts which had called forth such violent and opposite emotions. CHAPTER X.