'Halloo, that will never do,' cried Mr. Chadwick. 'I don't mind your imitating the swells in most ways, Fanny, but that is one of their plans that I will never have followed. To have and to hold, sickness and health, richer and poorer, death do us part--that is what we settled, you know, in St. George's Church, and that is what I mean us both to stick to.' 'My dear James!' murmured Mrs. Chadwick. 'I can perfectly understand Mr. Chadwick's feelings,' said May, with a bright blush in her face, 'and I highly applaud his resolution. The less that husband and wife are parted the better, be sure, for their domestic happiness.' 'Well, at all events,' said Mr. Pratt, with more than usual tact, seeing the awkwardness of the situation, 'there is no reason why a bachelor need stay in town. I have done so this year of my own free will; and I must say that, all things considered, I have enjoyed myself very much.' 'Is that really so?' said Mrs. Chadwick, looking at him meaningly. 'Yes, indeed,' said Spiridion, meeting the glance with good-humoured firmness. 'I daresay that perhaps, physically, I might have been better if I had gone to Ems or Carlsbad; but, morally, I found the air of London this autumn quite bracing--very bracing, indeed.' 'You have got a fine place here, Lady Forestfield,' said Mr. Chadwick, who did not understand any of these side allusions, walking into a bow window, and looking round upon the prospect. 'This bears out what I have always said--the North is well enough for business, but give me the South for pleasure. Now in the North at this time of year, and at this time of day, you would have a great thick fog looming all over here, so that you could not see your hand before your face, and there would be a real taste of coal-dust in your mouth. What's here in front beautiful turf would be brown or black swampy stuff; and them woods beyond would have lost all their pretty leaves, and been nowt but a bundle of sticks.' 'I only hope you will be able to amuse yourself while you are here, Mr. Chadwick,' said May. 'The head keeper gives plenty of promise of sport, if you are fond of shooting.' 'Yes, my lady,' answered Mr. Chadwick, in his old-fashioned manner; 'I have been fond of shooting ever since I was a boy, and used to go out on Sunday mornings at Jarrow a-birding with an old horse-pistol. I have had some great times since then, battoos, as they call 'em, and wholesale slaughter of all kinds; but I doubt if I really enjoyed any of it so much as those Sunday mornings.' 'You will have a companion in your sport in a day or two,' said May; 'Sir Nugent Uffington has promised to come down on Thursday.' 'Sir Nugent coming?' cried Mrs. Chadwick. 'That is delightful news; he is a most charming man!' 'Yes, he is a good fellow,' said Mr. Chadwick. 'I took a liking to him the first time I saw him, because I thought he spoke up so well and pluckily about--'