en many difficulties before this could be arranged. Crocker not
unnaturally wished that a portion of the enormous wealth which rumour
attributed to Mrs. Demijohn should be made over to the bride on her
marriage. But the discussions which had taken place between him and
the old lady on the matter had been stormy and unsuccessful. "It's a
sort of thing that one doesn't understand at all, you know," Crocker
had said to Mrs. Grimley, giving the landlady to understand that he
was not going to part with his own possession of himself without
adequate consideration. Mrs. Grimley had comforted the young man by
reminding him that the old lady was much given to hot brandy and
water, and that she could not "take her money with her where she was
going." Crocker had at last contented himself with an assurance that
there should be a breakfast and a trousseau which was to cost L100.
With the promise of this and the hope of what brandy-and-water might
do for him, he had given in, and the match was made. Had there been
no more than this in the matter the Row would not have been much
stirred by it. The Row was so full of earls, marquises, and dukes
that Crocker's love would have awakened no more than a passing
attention, but for a concomitant incident which was touching in
its nature, and interesting in its development. Daniel Tribbledale,
junior clerk at Pogson and Littlebird's, had fought a battle with his
passion for Clara Demijohn like a man; but, manly though the battle
had been, Love had prevailed over him. He had at last found it
impossible to give up the girl of his heart, and he had declared his
intention of "punching Crocker's head" should he ever find him in the
neighbourhood of the Row. With the object of doing this he frequented
the Row constantly from ten in the evening till two in the morning,
and spent a great deal more money than he ought to have done at The
Duchess. He would occasionally knock at No. 10, and boldly ask to
be allowed to see Miss Clara. On one or two of these occasions he
had seen her, and tears had flown in great quantities. He had thrown
himself at her feet, and she had assured him that it was in vain. He
had fallen back at Pogson and Littlebird's to L120 a year, and there
was no prospect of an increase. Moreover the betrothment with Crocker
was complete. Clara had begged him to leave the vicinity of Holloway.
Nothing, he had sworn, should divorce him from Paradise Row. Should
that breakfast ever be given