"No; but don't you think I will acknowledge my handwriting?"
replied Bagger, quite earnestly.

This earnestness with reference to an obligation which no one
understood became comical; and Bagger felt at the moment that he
was on the brink of the ridiculous. Trying to collect himself, he
said:

"Is it not an obligation we all have? Do not both bride and
bridegroom acknowledge that long before they knew each other the
obligation was present?"

"Yes, yes!" exclaimed the bridegroom.

"And the whirlwind, accident, the unknown power, brought them
together so that the obligation was redeemed?"

"Yes, yes!"

"Let us, then," continued Bagger, "drink a toast to the wind, the
accident, the moving power, unknown and yet controlling. To those
of us who, as yet, are unprovided for and under forty, it will at
some time undoubtedly bring a bride; to those who are already
provided for will come the expected in another form. So a toast to
the wind that came in here and flickered the lights; to the
unknown, that brings us the wished for; and to ourselves, that we
may be prepared to receive it when announced."

"Bravo!" exclaimed the bridegroom, looking upon his bride.