CONCLUSION READER，I married him. A quiet wedding we had: he and I，the parson and clerk，were alone present. When we got back from church，I went into the kitchen of the manor-house，where Mary was cooking the dinner and John cleaning the knives，and I said-

'Mary，I have been married to Mr. Rochester this morning.' The housekeeper and her husband were both of that decent phlegmatic order of people，to whom one may at any time safely municate a remarkable piece of news without incurring the danger of having one's ears pierced by some shrill ejaculation，and subsequently stunned by a torrent of wordy wonderment. Mary did look up，and she did stare at me: the ladle with which she was basting a pair of chickens roasting at the fire，did for some three minutes hang suspended in air; and for the same space of time John's knives also had rest from the polishing process: but Mary，bending again over the roast，said only-

'Have you，Miss? Well，for sure!'

A short time after she pursued- 'I seed you go out with the master，but I didn't know you were gone to church to be wed;' and she basted away. John，when I turned to him，was grinning from ear to ear.

'I telled Mary how it would be,' he said: 'I knew what Mr. Edward' (John was an old servant，and had known his master when he was the cadet of the house，therefore，he often gave him his Christian name)- 'I knew what Mr. Edward would do; and I was certain he would not wait long neither: and he's done right，for aught I know. I wish you joy，Miss!' and he politely pulled his forelock.

'Thank you，John. Mr. Rochester told me to give you and Mary this.' I put into his hand a five-pound note. Without waiting to hear more，I left the kitchen. In passing the door of that sanctum some time after，I caught the words-