第28部分(第4/7 頁)

　enough；　subsequently；　however；　her　guardians　—　for　she　was　not　yet　of　age　—　after　consenting　to　her　engagement；　reconsidered　the　matter　and　wished　her　to　break　it　off。　I　do　not　altogether　blame　them；　since　at　the　moment　my　prospects　were　not　particularly　brilliant。　As　it　chanced；　however；　my　wife；　perhaps　the　most　upright　and　straightforward　woman　whom　I　ever　knew；　was　not　one　of　a　nature　to　play　fast　and　loose　in　such　matters。　She　declined；　whereupon　one　of　her　guardians；　who　was　a　lawyer；　made　her　a　ward　in　Chancery。　Well　do　I　remember　appearing　before　Vice…Chancellor　Malins；　a　kindly　old　gentleman　and　man　of　the　world；　upon　whose　gouty　toe　I　inadvertently　trod　when　shaking　hands　with　him。　He　soon　sifted　the　matter　out　and　approved　of　the　engagement；　making　certain　directions　as　to　settlements；　etc。　The result　of　the　whole　business　was　that；　including　the　cost　of　the　settlements；　a　very　moderate　estate　was　mulcted　in　law　expenses　of　a　sum　of　nearly　3000　pounds！

In　after　days　I　and　my　wife’s　relations；　with　most　of　whom；　by　the　way；　I　never　had　any　difference　at　all；　as　they　were　no　parties　to　these　proceedings；　became　and　remained　the　best　of　friends。　So　I　wish　to　say　no　more　of　the　matter　except　that　I　regret　those　moneys　which　went　in　quite　useless　law　costs。　The　end　of　the　business　was　that　after　about　a　year　of　these　excursions　and　alarums　we　were　duly　married　on　August　11；　1880；　I　being　twenty…four　and　my　wife　within　a　few　months　of　twenty…one；　and　departed　from　this　house　to　Norwich　in　a　carriage　drawn　by　four　grey　horses　with　postilions。　This　is　interesting；　as　I　believe　it　must　have　been　one　of　the　last　occasions　upon　which　postilions　were　used　for　such　a　purpose　in　England；　except　of　course　in　the　case　of　royal　personages。　At　any　rate　I　have　never　se