II + 

Love Forgives + 

When the Right Honorable Catharine Mount Energy, Countess of Pieponder, died, which she did the week after she had married Mr. Dribble, it was discovered that her affairs were very much out of order. By the singular but well-known laws of Kent, in which county the marriage had been celebrated, Mr. Dribble became responsible for the debts of his widow and all her relations. This was a crushing blow, and just at this time the bishop dismissed him as being lacking in spiritual grace. Mr. Dribble then bethought himself of the sweet passages of his earlier years, and, remembering that Mrs. Johnson had saved a little money, saw at once where lay his only chance of salvation here on earth. So he went to Finsbury Square, nothing abashed. + 

“Do you love me, Mary?” he said. + 

The telltale blood rushed to her face, as she stood for half an hour gently shaking her head and gazing into his eyes. Then she said, with that sweet voice of hers, which was the life of all her lovers, “Love you, Mr. Dribble? Ay, that I do.” + 

“And love forgives,” he said, taking her sweet hand within his clammy grasp. + 

“Yes, love forgives.” + 

“And you forgive.” + 

“I have forgiven.” + 

“Then you will consent to become Mrs. Dribble?” + 

Again she stood gazing into his eyes for half an hour; but when she made her answer, it was still the same, “Never, never, never, never!” + 