'Before next Easter she'll be his wife, my boy,' said Joshua with grave exultation.
Cornelius shook his head.

'She comes too late!' he returned.
'What do you mean ?' 'Look here.' He produced the Fountall paper, and placed his finger on a paragraph, which Joshua read.

It appeared under the report of Petty Sessions, and was a commonplace case of disorderly conduct, in which a man was sent to prison for seven days for breaking windows in that town.
'Well ?' said Joshua.
'It happened during an evening that I was in the street; and the offender is our father.' 'Not--how--I sent him more money on his promising to stay in Canada ?' 'He is home, safe enough.' Cornelius in the same gloomy tone gave the remainder of his information.

He had witnessed the scene, unobserved of his father, and had heard him say that he was on his way to see his daughter, who was going to marry a rich gentleman.

The only good fortune attending the untoward incident was that the millwright's name had been printed as Joshua Alborough.
'Beaten! We are to be beaten on the eve of our expected victory!' said the elder brother.