ind
saying it out straight before her father. I love Miss Neefit! I don't
know, sir, what your ideas are; but I love Miss Neefit! Perhaps, sir,
your ideas may be money;--my ideas are a pure affection for that
young lady. Now, Mr. Newton, you know what my ideas are." Mr. Moggs
junior was standing up when he made this speech, and, when he had
completed it, he looked round, first upon her father and then upon
his rival.

"She's never given you no encouragement," said Neefit. "How dare you
speak in that way about my Polly?"

"I do dare," said Ontario. "There!"

"Will you tell Mr. Newton that she ever gave you any encouragement?"

Ontario thought about it for a moment, before he replied. "No;--I
will not," said he. "To say that of any young woman wouldn't be in
accord with my ideas."

"Because you can't. It's all gammon. She don't mean to have him, Mr.
Newton. You may take my word for that. You go in and ask her if she
do. A pretty thing indeed! I can't invite my friend, Mr. Newton, to
eat a bit of dinner, and let him walk out with my Polly, but you must
interfere. If you had her to-morrow you wouldn't have a shilling with
her."

"I don't want a shilling with her!" said Ontario, still standing upon
his legs. "I love her. Will Mr. Newton say as fair as that?"

Mr. Newton found it very difficult to say anything. Even had he been
thoroughly intent on the design of making Polly his wife, he could
not have brought himself to declare his love aloud, as had just
been done by Mr. Moggs. "This is a sort of matter that shouldn't be
discussed in public," he said at last.

"Public or private, I love her!" said Ontario Moggs with his hand on
his heart.

Polly herself was certainly badly treated among them. She got no walk
that evening, and received no assurance of undying affection either
from one suitor or the other. It became manifest even to Neefit
himself that the game could not be played out on this evening. He
could not turn Moggs off the premises, because his wife would have
interfered. Nor, had he done so, would it have been possible, after
such an affair to induce Polly to stir from the house. She certainly
had been badly used among them; and so she took occasion to tell her
father when the visitors were both gone. They left the house together
at about eight, and Polly at that time had not reappeared. Moggs went
to the nearest station of the Midland Railway, and Ralph walked to
the Swiss Cottage. Certainly Mr. Neefi