wal saved the speaker from Polly's
indignation. She saw that he was terribly driven, and, in spite of
herself, once more softened towards him; for Polly had never disliked
Mr. Parish; from the very first his ingenuous devotedness excited in
her something, however elementary, of reciprocal feeling. She thought
him comely to look upon, and had often reflected upon how pleasant it
was to rule a man by her slightest look or word. To be sure,
Christopher's worldly position was nothing to boast of; but one' knew
him for the steady, respectable young clerk, who is more likely than
not to advance by modest increments of salary. Miss Sparkes would have
perceived, had she been capable of intellectual perception, that
Christopher answered fairly well to one of her ideals. Others there
were, which tended to draw her from him, but she had never yet
deliberately turned her back upon the young man.

So now, instead of answering bitterness with wrath, she spoke more
gently than of wont.

"Don't take on in that way, you'll only have a headache to-morrow. I
can't promise to meet you regular, but you can write, and I'll let you
know when I'm ready for a talk. There now, won't that do?"

Christopher had to make it do, and presently accepted the conditions
with tolerable grace. Before they parted Polly even assured him that if
ever there _was_ anyone else she would deal honestly with him and let
him know. This being as much as to say that he might still hope,
Christopher cast away his thoughts of self-destruction, and went home
with an appetite for a late supper.

Two months elapsed before anything of moment occurred in the relations
thus established. Then at one of their brief meetings Polly delighted
the young man by telling him that he might wait for her outside the
theatre on a certain evening of the same week. Hitherto such awaitings
had been forbidden.

"Won't I, just!" cried Mr. Parish. "And you'll come and have some
supper?"

"I can't promise; I may want to ask you to do something for me. Just
you be ready, that's all."

He promised exultingly, and when the evening came took up his position
a full hour before Polly could be expected to come forth.

Now this was the first night of a new piece at Polly's theatre, and
she, long watching in vain for the reappearance of the lady whose
address she was to discover for Mr. Gammon, thought it a very possible
thing that a person who had been twice to see the old entertainment
might