"To be sure, he shall," said the squire; and immediately returning to Mr. Chromatic, concluded the negotiation for Sir Patrick as expeditiously as he had done for himself. The squire next addressed himself to Mr. Escot: "Here are three couples of us going to throw off together, with the Reverend Doctor Gaster for whipper in. Now I think you cannot do better than to make the fourth with Miss Cephalis." "Indeed?" said Mr. Escot. "Nothing would be more agreeable to both of us than such an arrangement; but the old gentleman since I first knew him has changed like the rest of the world, very lamentably for the worse.". "I'll settle him," said Squire Headlong; and immediately posted up to Mr. Cranium, informing him that four marriages were about to take place by way of a merry winding up of the Christmas festivities. "In the first place," said the squire, "my sister and Mr. Foster; in the second, Miss Graziosa Chromatic and Sir Patrick O'Prism; in the third, Miss Tenorina Chromatic and your humble servant; and in the fourth, to which, by the by, your consent is wanted, your daughter----" "And Mr. Panscope," said Mr. Cranium. "And Mr. Escot," said Squire Headlong. What would you have better? He has ten thousand virtues." "So has Mr. Panscope. He has ten thousand a year." "Virtues?" said Squire Headlong. "Pounds," said Mr. Cranium. "Who fished you out of the water?" said Squire Headlong.. "What is that to the purpose?" said Mr. Cranium. "The whole process of the action was mechanical and necessary. He could no more help jumping into the water than I could help falling into it." "Very well," said the squire. "Your daughter and Mr. Escot are necessitated to love one another." Mr. Cranium, after a profound reverie, said, "Do you think Mr. Escot would give me that skull?" "Skull?" said Squire Headlong. "Yes," said Mr. Cranium. "The skull of Cadwallader." "To be sure he will. How can you doubt it?" "I simply know," said Mr. Cranium, "that if it were once in my possession I would not part with it for any acquisition on earth, much less for a wife." The squire flew over to Mr. Escot. "I told you," said he, "I would settle him; but there is a very hard condition attached to his compliance. Nothing less than the absolute and unconditional surrender of the skull of Cadwallader." "I resign it," said Mr. Escot. "The skull is yours," said the squire, skipping over to Mr. Cranium. "I am perfectly satisfied," said Mr. Cranium. "The lady is yours," said the squire, skipping back to Mr. Escot. "I am the happiest man alive," said Mr. Escot, and he flew off as nimbly as Squire Headlong himself, to impart the happy intelligence to his beautiful Cephalis. The departure of the ball visitors then took place, and the squire did not suffer many days to elapse before the spiritual metamorphosis of eight into four was effected by the clerical dexterity of the Reverend Doctor Gaster. * * * * * Nightmare Abbey