"Will you play?" he asked. I shook my head. He did not insist，which I rather feared he would have done; he allowed me to return quietly to my usual seat.

He and his aids now withdrew behind the curtain: the other party，which was headed by Colonel Dent，sat down on the crescent of chairs. One of the gentlemen，Mr. Eshton，observing me，seemed to propose that I should be asked to join them; but Lady Ingram instantly negatived the notion.

"No," I heard her say: "she looks too stupid for any game of the sort."

Ere long a bell tinkled，and the curtain drew up. Within the arch，the bulky figure of Sir George Lynn，whom Mr. Rochester had likewise chosen，was seen enveloped in a white sheet: before him，on a table，lay open a large book; and at his side stood Amy Eshton，draped in Mr. Rochester"s cloak，and holding a book in her hand. Somebody，unseen，rang the bell merrily; then Adele (who had insisted on being one of her guardian"s party)，bounded forward，scattering round her the contents of a basket of flowers she carried on her arm. Then appeared the magnificent figure of Miss Ingram，clad in white，a long veil on her head，and a wreath of roses round her brow; by her side walked Mr. Rochester，and together they drew near the table. They knelt; while Mrs. Dent and Louisa Eshton，dressed also in white，took up their stations behind them. A ceremony followed，in dumb show，in which it was easy to recognise the pantomime of a marriage. At its termination，Colonel Dent，and his party consulted in whispers for two minutes，then the Colonel called out-

"Bride!" Mr. Rochester bowed，and the curtain fell.