They were pleasant young fellows, and I used to ask them to the vicarage.
Eventually, Mary Bewery and John Brake became engaged to be married.

My wife and I were a good deal surprised--we had believed, somehow, that the favoured man would be Ransford.

However, it was Brake--and Brake she married, and, as you say, Ransford was best man.

Of course, Brake took his wife off to London--and from the day of her wedding, I never saw her again." "Did you ever see Brake again ?" asked Bryce.

The old clergyman shook his head.
"Yes!" he said sadly.