and up to this time two alternatives
had been open to him,--the sale of his reversion and independence, or
Polly and the future lordship of Newton. He had thought that there
was nothing but to choose. It had not occurred to him that Polly
would raise any objection. He had felt neither fear nor hope in that
direction. It followed as a consequence now that the lordship must
go. He would not, however, make up his mind that it should go till
the last moment.

On the following morning he was thinking that he might as well go to
the shop in Conduit Street, feeling that he could encounter Neefit
without any qualms of conscience, when Mr. Neefit came to him. This
was certainly a better arrangement. It was easier to talk of his
own affairs sitting at ease in his own arm-chair, than to carry on
the discussion among the various sporting garments which adorned Mr.
Neefit's little back room, subject to interruption from customers,
and possibly within the hearing of Mr. Waddle and Herr Bawwah.
Neefit, seated at the end of the sofa in Ralph's comfortable room,
looking out of his saucer eyes with all his energy, was in a certain
degree degrading,--but was not quite so degrading as Neefit at his
own barn-door in Conduit Street. "I was just coming to you," he said,
as he made the breeches-maker welcome.

"Well;--yes; but I thought I'd catch you here, Captain. Them men
of mine has such long ears! That German who lets on that he don't
understand only just a word or two of English, hears everything
through a twelve-inch brick wall. Polly told me as you'd been with
her."

"I suppose so, Mr. Neefit."

"Oh, she ain't one as 'd keep anything from me. She's open and
straightforward, anyways."

"So I found her."

"Now look here, Captain. I've just one word to say about her.
Stick to her." Ralph was well aware that he must explain the exact
circumstances in which he stood to the man who was to have been his
father-in-law, but hardly knew how to begin his explanation. "She
ain't nowise again you," continued Mr. Neefit. "She owned as much
when I put her through her facings. I did put her through her facings
pretty tightly. 'What is it that you want, Miss?' said I. 'D' you
want to have a husband, or d' you want to be an old maid?' They don't
like that word old maid;--not as used again themselves, don't any
young woman."

"Polly will never be an old maid," said Ralph.

"She owned as she didn't want that. 'I suppose I'll have to take some