most equally
impossible to live upon four times fifty pounds. He had given Sir
Thomas a promise that he would not raise money on post-obits on his
uncle's life, and hitherto he had kept that promise. He thought that
he would be guilty of no breach of promise were he so to obtain
funds, telling Sir Thomas of his purpose, and asking the lawyer's
assistance; but he knew that if he did this all his chance of future
high prosperity would be at an end. His uncle might live these twenty
years, and in that time he, Ralph, might quite as readily die. Money
might no doubt be raised, but this could only be done at a cost
which would be utterly ruinous to him. There was one way out of his
difficulty. He might marry a girl with money. A girl with money had
been offered to him, and a girl, too, who was very pretty and very
pleasant. But then, to marry the daughter of a breeches-maker!

And why not? He had been teaching himself all his life to despise
conventionalities. He had ridiculed degrees. He had laughed at
the rank and standing of a barrister. "The rank is but the guinea
stamp--the man's the gowd for a' that." How often had he declared to
himself and others that that should be his motto through life. And
might not he be as much a man, and would not his metal be as pure,
with Polly Neefit for his wife as though he were to marry a duchess?
As for love, he thought he could love Polly dearly. He knew that he
had done some wrong in regard to poor Clary; but he by no means knew
how much wrong he had done. A single word of love,--which had been
so very much to her in her innocence,--had been so little to him who
was not innocent. If he could allow himself to choose out of all the
women he had ever seen, he would, he thought, instigated rather by
the ambition of having the loveliest woman in the world for his wife
than by any love, have endeavoured to win Mary Bonner as his own. But
that was out of the question. Mary Bonner was as poor as himself;
and, much as he admired her, he certainly could not tell himself
that he loved her. Polly Neefit would pull him through all his
difficulties. Nevertheless, he could not make up his mind to ask
Polly Neefit to be his wife.

But he must make up his mind either that he would or that he would
not. He must see Mr. Neefit on the morrow;--and within the next few
days he must call on Mr. Moggs, unless he broke his word. And in two
months' time he must have L500 for Mr. Horsball. Suppose he were to