Evening star., 1902-02-15
The Conclusion of the Business.
CHAPTER XXI.

II was ollNer 5 design TO dedl with ttie
man Of revenge. that he might enjoy
four and twenty hours. at least. Of the
kings bench prison, with the full delights
OF the poor side-those delights with which
he was himself familiar The time of the
year was still summer. but late summer
when the nights are cold. Mr. Fulton would
therefore be able to anticipate some or
the joys of winter. with no bed to lie upon,
except the hard bare. unwashcd boards;
no blanket to cover him, no change OF
clothes a crowded room with close and
confined air; food unless he was so
lucky as To share III some of the miserable
doles of the prison; and no drink. Four
and twenty hours. Oliver thought, of the
poor side would be quite enough to quench
that burning desire for revenge.
He left his man. therefore. alone for the
moment. There was. however, one more
source Of danger. hitherto unSuSpected,
that. namely. from the parson who had
conducted the ceremony in Newgate. Like
all his brethren. he kept a register in
which hC entered the names of the couples
whom ne married. Now. Oliver considered
if the man had any suspicion Of the wealth.
to which the lady had attained. he would
most certainly have endeaVored to make
moneyby his knowledge. As he had not done
so X was probable that he had quite for
gotten the name of the bride and even the
circumstances Of the function. He resolv-
ed however. to find out the man ana 10
ascertain the truth. The mere name Ill the
register without any qualifying description
would he of no Importance unless support
ed by other evidence, because in such cases
a name may be easily assumed. maid
servant. an apprentice. milliners girl;
NAV assume for the occasion the name ana
STYLE OF her mistress. In itself, therefore,
the register would he of no use to its pos
SCISSOR: and. for other evidence, he was
disposing Of that by the banishment OF
one Of the two persons chiefly concerned
and the Imprisonment of the other
However. 1t is not long journey from
the temple to the Fleet, ana he m1de ms
way to the place
The haunt of the marrying parsons Is
not delectable place for the stranger 70
visit. Nowhere is il mentioned as one or
the shows Of London; the market seldom
cleaned is strewn and covered with broken
fruit and Vegetables trodden into the
ground and putrefying: il is incumherea
with harrows: it is not only noisome with
IT'S unswept rubbish. but it is dreadful to
ears polite hy reason of the people who are
continually fighting. quarreling and curs-
Ing. Every other house is a tavern. ana IN
most OF the taverns may be found par
son i'm cassock bands and wig ready 10
marry couples in a back room at q Zee
proportional 10 the appearance OF the palr
namely from five ShiiingS, or even nan d
crown. to = guinea.
on Fleet bridge and Ludgate Hill are the
men who tent all day long for thef mas
fers dragging in. so to speak, any couples
who may happen to he walking along the
street on the hill
To one of these men Oliver addressed him.
self He learned from him first that the
clergyman who had tied the futile knot was
dead: hr had been dead for nearly three
years: lis calling it would seem. Is not
conducive To long life: perhaps because II IS
too intimately connected with punch and
strong drink Of various kinds. He was
dead however. Next Oliver was invited TO
bring the lady when he might be comfort
ably ana safely married hy the defunct
divine,s successor Thirdly as ne showed
no signs Of producing lady. he was earn
estly invited to offer tho means Of procur-
ing drink for 4 thirsty throat Lastly, he
was referred TO the landlord of the tavern
where the piouS soul had set up his quar-
tsrs: lived drank. eaten, slept and died.
Oliver found the place little way un the
market. The landlord was standing at the
open door n man Of middle age and forbid
ding aSIect. hgaring Epon his brow the un-
mistakable stamp which sooner OF later
brands the man who leads a life of internal
fniquity. No one can deny. / believe. that
the landlords of the Fleet taverns do lead
lives Of iniquity, if half the reports are
true.
Il have come said Oliver. ito make in
ouiries concerning the registers of mar
riagcs kept some years ago by your marry
Ing parson."
oh the man replied You would like
to see those registers. would You? Pray.
sir. why do You want to sec them
Il hear that the pars0n is dead. You have
probably kept his books
MAY be-may he. You are A lawyer. T
perceive sir. When lawyer wants TO see
the register. 1t 's for some purpose Of his
own. | take it,"
Naturally. You are quite right"
well sir the register is. perhaps. in my
possession. do not say Perhaps 1t is not.
MAY a body ask again why YOU want TO
- see it,
Sir he said. Il need not inform YOU:
1t must he plain to person of your un-
derstanding that such register may he of
infinite Importance in proving or sub
q n 10
he. claims to estate to inheritance or
to succession. Take. for example. the case
Of one born in wedlock who cannot prove
his mothers marriage except by reference
to these registers.
AVE. sir l understand Or there may he
equally the case Of a woman who would
nide. If she could. the proofs of her mar
riage. YoH take me. sir? These marriages.
most beneficial To the community because
they are CHEAP and easy. MAY be hastily en-
tered uron. You take me. sir?'
Perfectly. Perfectly, You are quite
right. Such case might Immediately
arise.
We'll. sir. We come to this The regis
fers worth money. especially to law
yers. You must. therefore. pay for looking
Mt them
by all means I will give You present
Tor looking at the registers kept by this
divine-rhis devoted servant Of Hymen l
want especially the register of three years
ago.
High men or low men turn all the same
three years ago? I can show YOU now the
registers Of ten years ago-or even Of five
years ago-but Of three years ago You
must know. sir. that the cause Of the death
OF my unfortunate and pious friend-he was
a member Of the University of Oxford sir
and as full of learning as an egg is fun of
meat say that the cause Of his death was
that he happened, being in Iiduor to
set his candle beside the bed and too near
yne sheets-in consequence of which the
latter caught fire and in extinguishing the
20 N - 1tlly
gentleman. who was lying dressed in his
sik cassock. but caused him fever which
together with the burns carried him off
three days after"
And the registerso"
'"They were under his pillow while drunk
or sober. he always kept them. And what
with the fire and the water they were
mostly reduced to pulp and ashes
''So-they are no longer legible, then
"Just as they were-brown ashes and
pulp, as / said. we threw them away
There was nothing left of them that could
be read"
"Oh, They were destroyed Perhaps as
Well. My friend, You have lost guinea by