“Blanche Jones is her name—she’s only old Purley’s stepdaughter.”
He started up. “Then Mrs. Purley was formerly Mrs. Jones?”
“Yes.”
“Hurrah!” He seized the surprised Martha by the waist and began waltzing with her, while Nip barked with excitement.
“Quiet, Nip! What’s the matter?” cried Jinny, smiling.
“A relation at last! Don’t you see that Mrs. Jones can give the bride away?”
“But she’s not really a relation.”
“All these Joneses are one large family,” he said airily.
“But you don’t need a relation,” Martha pointed out. “A friend will do.”
“Really? I must study the stage-directions—I mean,” he corrected himself hastily, “yours may be different from the Church of England.”