with her company on a day trip to Eastbourne,
that they might gaze together on the appalling mansion?

"P'r'aps," replied Polly, "if you're good."

Whereat Mr. Parish perspired with ecstasy, and began at once to plan
the details of the outing.

Indeed, Polly was very gracious to him, and presently something
happened which enhanced her graciousness--perhaps increased her genuine
liking for the amiable young man. Her friend, Miss Waghorn, was about
to be married to Mr. Nibby. It was a cheerless time of the year for a
wedding, but Mr. Nibby had just come in for a little legacy, on the
strength of which he took a house in a southeast suburb, and furnished
it on the hire system, with a splendour which caused Miss Waghorn to
shriek in delight, and severely tested the magnanimity of Polly's
friendship. Polly was to be a bridesmaid, and must needs have a
becoming dress but where was it to come from? Her perfidious uncle had
vanished (she knew not yet _who_ that uncle really was), and her "tips"
of late had been--in Polly's language--measly. In the course of
friendly chat she mentioned to Mr. Parish that the wedding was for that
day week, and added, with head aside, that she couldn't imagine what
she was going to wear.

"I shall patch up some old dress, I s'pose. Lucky it's dark weather."

Christopher became meditative, and seemed to shirk the subject. But on
the morrow there arrived for Polly a letter addressed in his
handwriting--an envelope rather--which contained two postal orders,
each for one pound, but not a word on the paper enfolding them.

"Well now," cried Polly within herself, "if that ain't gentlemanly of
him! Who'd a' thought it! And me just going to put my bracelet away!"

By which she meant that she was about to pawn her jewellery to procure
a bridesmaid's dress. Gratitude, for the moment, quite overcame her.
She sat down and wrote a letter of thanks, so worded that the recipient
was beside himself for a whole day. He in turn wrote a letter of three
full sheets, wherein, among other lyrical extravagances, he expressed a
wish that by dying a death of slow torture he could endow Miss Sparkes
with fabulous wealth. How gladly would he perish, knowing that she
would come to lay artificial flowers upon his grave, and to the end of
her life see that the letters on his tombstone were kept legible.

So Polly made a handsome appearance at the wedding. As a matter of
fact, she came near to exciting unpleasantness be