he has been
dining with you. He swears that you are to marry his daughter."

"He be d----!" said Newton. It was a poor way of getting out of the
scrape, and so Ralph felt.

"But what's the meaning of it all? He's telling everybody about
London that you went down to stay with him at Margate."

"Neefit has gone mad lately," said Captain Fooks, with a good-natured
determination to stand by his friend in misfortune.

"But how about the girl, Newton?" asked his lordship.

"You may have her yourself, Poll,--if she don't prefer a young
shoemaker, to whom I believe she's engaged. She's very pretty, and
has got a lot of money--which will suit you to a T." He tried to put
a good face on it; but, nevertheless, he was very hot and red in the
face.

"I'd put a stop to this if I were you," said another friend,
confidentially and in a whisper. "He's not only telling everybody,
but writing letters about it."

"Oh, I know," said Ralph. "How can I help what a madman does? It's a
bore of course." Then he sauntered out again, feeling sure that his
transactions with Mr. Neefit would form the subject of conversation
in the club billiard-room for the next hour and a half. It would
certainly become expedient that he should travel abroad.

He felt it to be quite a relief when he found that Mr. Neefit was not
waiting for him at his chambers. "Adolphe," he said as soon as he was
dressed, "that man must never be allowed to put his foot inside the
door again."

"Ah;--the Apollo gone! And he did it express!"

"I don't mind the figure;--but he must never be allowed to enter the
place again. I shall not stay up long, but while we are here you must
not leave the place till six. He won't come in the evening." Then he
put a sovereign into the man's hand, and went out to dine at Lady
Eardham's.

Lady Eardham had three fair daughters, with pretty necks, and
flaxen hair, and blue eyes, and pug noses, all wonderfully alike.
They ranged from twenty-seven to twenty-one, there being sons
between,--and it began to be desirable that they should be married.
Since Ralph had been in town the Eardham mansion in Cavendish Square
had been opened to him with almost maternal kindness. He had accepted
the kindness; but being fully alive to the purposes of matronly
intrigue, had had his little jokes in reference to the young ladies.
He liked young ladies generally, but was well aware that a young man
is not obliged to offer his hand and heart to every girl t