What time his lordship thanked him, he looked about him at the other occupants of the room, and found that, besides the parson, sitting pale and wide-eyed at the table, there was present in the background his lordship's man--a quiet fellow, quietly garbed in gray, with a shrewd face and shrewd, shifty eyes.

Mr.Caryll saw, and registered, for future use, the reflection that eyes that are overshrewd are seldom wont to look out of honest heads.
"You are desired," his lordship informed him, "to be witness to a marriage." "So much the landlady had made known to me." "It is not, I trust, a task that will occasion you any scruples." "None.

On the contrary, it is the absence of the marriage might do that." The smooth, easy tone so masked the inner meaning of the answer that his lordship scarce attended to the words.
"Then we had best get on.

We are in haste." "'Tis the characteristic rashness of folk about to enter wedlock," said Mr.Caryll, as he approached the table with his lordship, his eyes as he spoke turning full upon the bride.
My lord laughed, musically enough, but overloud for a man of brains or breeding.

"Marry in haste, eh ?" quoth he.
"You are penetration itself," Mr.Caryll praised him.
"'Twill take a shrewd rogue to better me," his lordship agreed.
"Yet an honest man might worst you.