THE WEDDING BELLS.
The next morning gossip was rife in Penzance: nothing was talked of but
the captain's dinner-party, and the circumstances connected with it.
Three pairs of lovers walked out from the hotel in different directions,
while Julia took a quiet walk with her uncle and aunt, who pretended to
pity her, because she was not so fortunate as the other three young
ladies of the party. They little knew what was going on behind the
scenes; for, if the truth must be told, Julia had received a letter,
that very morning, from the most devoted love-sick swain that ever wrote
sonnets to the moon, or vowed eternal constancy to the most lovely of
her sex. So Julia was perfectly happy, whatever her good uncle and aunt
might think.
It was very hard, Captain Courland said, to be obliged to give up his
daughter again, as soon as he had found her, but Frederick was a good
fellow, and he should have her; and to enable him to procure a suitable
casket to keep the precious _diamond_ in, the captain gave him a
handsome sum as a wedding present.
Maud was so happy in the consciousness of having gained the affections
of the only man she had ever known who possessed a congenial spirit with
her own, that she used all her persuasion with her father, in favour of
Lieut. Fowler's hopes with regard to her sister. The squire was taken by
surprise he said: to lose one daughter was bad enough, but to lose both
at the same time, was more than he could consent to. However, he
promised to talk it over with the captain over a bottle of wine after
dinner: and, either the wine had a peculiarly persuasive flavour, or the
captain was more than usually eloquent; for the consent was given the
next day, and it was agreed that the three weddings should take place at
Penzance on the same day; as soon as the necessary preliminary
preparations could be made.
Josiah and Alice Ann had not been idle. Perhaps love-making is
infectious; if so, they caught the infection from their betters; for
Josiah popped the question, and was accepted, about the same time that
their master and mistress (Mr. Frederick and Miss Alrina) were making up
their little imaginary differences at the hotel.
While the ladies were making their preparations for their weddings, the
gentlemen, finding time hang heavily on their hands, proposed going to
the conjuror's house, at St. Just, and having a regular overhaul, as
Lieut. Fowler expressed it.
Alrina's consent was asked, and granted, as a matter of course; for what
had she to do with the conjuror's house now? So they went, and in their
search, they found money and jewels of great value; for, in his haste to
get away, the conjuror had not taken very much with him;--the belt was
gone, and this had, no doubt, been refilled. There was no one to claim
the property, nor to hinder them in their search, so they made a minute
investigation; and that nothing might escape them, where they supposed
or imagined there was a secret drawer, they did not hesitate to break
the piece of furniture in which they suspected it into a thousand
pieces. There could be no doubt, now, as to the disposition and
ownership of the property. The conjuror's nearest relative and
representative was his sister, and she had disposed of all her property
to Alrina. But Alrina, fortunately didn't want it now; so, after
consulting her good friends on the matter, it was decided that Squire
Pendray should lay out a portion of it for the benefit of the boy Bill,
and Mazed Dick and his mother, according to his judgment; and that the
remainder should be given to the poor and for charitable purposes.
There was nothing wanting that money could procure to render the wedding
everything that could be desired by the most fastidious of gossips.
Mr. Morley and Frederick presented Josiah and his wife with a handsome
sum of money on their marriage, which took place soon after their own,
to enable them to purchase a farm, to which the happy couple retired
after their wedding.
Mr. and Mrs. Brown continued to keep the "Commercial" hotel for several
years, and were visited, frequently, by Mr. Morley and his brother and
their wives. But, of all her friends and customers, Mrs. Brown often
declared that she never loved anyone half so much as she loved Miss
Reeney, who was worthy, she said, of the name Mrs. Trenow had given
her,--"THE CORNISH DIAMOND!"
[Illustration: FINIS]
PRINTED BY W. CORNISH, THE LIBRARY, PENZANCE