It was three days later that Alice saluted her uncle on his coming down to breakfast with,
“There is an announcement in the ‘Times’ of to-day which will astonish you, uncle.”
“What is it, Alice?”
“Well, to begin with, uncle, here's Frank's marriage in—not that that is astonishing. But what do you think of the one under it? 'On Wednesday, at St. Peter's, Manchester, Frederick Bingham, of Hans Place, London, to Margaret, only daughter of the late Charles Farrer, Esq., of Oldham.'”
“Nonsense, Alice, you are joking.”
“It is a fact, uncle; here is the paper, look for yourself.”
“What the deuce does he mean by it, Alice? How dare he marry without speaking to me first?”
“I don't know, I am sure, uncle, it seems strange, but there is a letter on the table for you, and I think it is in his handwriting.”
Captain Bradshaw opened the letter.