The vicar heard the rumour. He hastened at once to find out the truth from the person most certain, as he thought, to know the facts, viz, Molly herself.
"I am to congratulate you, Molly," he said, "or must I call you the Countess of Fylingdale?"
"I am certainly not a countess," she replied. "Why the horns came here at seven this morning and the butchers with them, all to congratulate me. What does it mean?"
"Then it is not true, Molly? Heavens, how glad I am!"
"Why, certainly not. I wrote to Lord Fylingdale last night. I told him I should not be at the church this morning, as I had promised."
"Then--is it not true?--may I contradict the report?"
"If you please, sir. Did you see Jack last night after he left me?"
"We did. And we learned your resolution. Therefore, I was the more astonished."
"Oh! sir. Pray do not think that I would marry a rake for a title which I do not want and should not adorn."
"Heavens! my dear Molly, what a load you lift from my heart!"
So he went away. Outside, in the streets, he met the clerk of St. Nicholas. "What is all this," he said, "about a marriage early this morning?"
"Why, sir, it is no secret, I believe. Miss Molly was married at six o'clock to Lord Fylingdale. I was present, and gave away the bride."
"Are we dreaming? Are we in our right senses? You say, man, that Miss Molly was married this morning--this very morning--to Lord Fylingdale. By whom?"
"By Mr. Purdon? Was the marriage duly celebrated?"
"Surely, sir. They were married by licence; and the marriage is entered in the registers."
"Come to the church and show me the registers."
The clerk led the way to the vestry and opened the great trunk. There lay the books of the registers. He took them out and showed the entries. Yes; there was no doubt possible. There were the two signatures, "Fylingdale" and "Mary Miller," with the clerk as witness and the signature of "Benjamin Purdon, Clerk in Orders," as the officiating minister.
"Now," said the vicar, sitting down, "what does this mean?"
As for myself, I also heard the news. It was brought on board by Captain Jaggard. "I could have wished," he said, "that Captain Crowle had seen his way to marry the girl to some honest man of the place--to you, Jack, or some other. I suppose she is too rich for a merchant or a simple sailor. Pity! Pity! This noble lord will take her away, and we shall see her no more."