Foreboding, "or she assuredly would have left some message with the
girl." I then thought to myself what a hard thing it would be, if,
after having made up my mind to assume the yoke of matrimony, I
should be disappointed of the woman of my choice. "Well, after
all," thought I, "I can scarcely be disappointed; if such an ugly
scoundrel as Sylvester had no difficulty in getting such a nice
wife as Ursula, surely I, who am not a tenth part so ugly, cannot
fail to obtain the hand of Isopel Berners, uncommonly fine damsel
though she be. Husbands do not grow upon hedgerows; she is merely
gone after a little business and will return to-morrow."

Comforted in some degree by these hopeful imaginings, I retired to
my tent, and went to sleep.



CHAPTER XVI



Gloomy Forebodings--The Postman's Mother--The Letter--Bears and
Barons--The Best of Advice.


Nothing occurred to me of any particular moment during the
following day. Isopel Berners did not return; but Mr. Petulengro
and his companions came home from the fair early in the morning.
When I saw him, which was about midday, I found him with his face
bruised and swelled. It appeared that, some time after I had left
him, he himself perceived that the jockeys with whom he was playing