aps you might have stayed another day now."

"I thought that perhaps you might want me to come back again," said
Ralph;--"and, if so, I could make arrangements;--perhaps for a week
or ten days."

"Do come back," she said. "And do stay."

Ralph's triumph as he returned that evening to London received
Gregory's fullest sympathy; but still it must have been hard to bear.
Perhaps his cousin's parting words contained for him some comfort.
"Give her a little time, and she will be yours yet. I shall find it
all out from Mary, and you may be sure we shall help you."

CHAPTER LV.

COOKHAM.

We have been obliged to anticipate in some degree the course of
our story by the necessity which weighed upon us of completing the
history of Polly Neefit. In regard to her we will only further
express an opinion,--in which we believe that we shall have the
concurrence of our readers,--that Mr. Moggs junior had chosen well.
Her story could not be adequately told without a revelation of that
correspondence, which, while it has explained the friendly manner in
which the Neefit-Newton embarrassments were at last brought to an
end, has, at the same time, disclosed the future lot in life of our
hero,--as far as a hero's lot in life may be said to depend on his
marriage.

Mr. Neefit had been almost heart-broken, because he was not satisfied
that his victim was really punished by any of those tortures which
his imagination invented, and his energy executed. Even when the
"pretty little man" was smashed, and was, in truth, smashed of malice
prepense by a swinging blow from Neefit's umbrella, Neefit did not
feel satisfied that he would thereby reach his victim's heart. He
could project his own mind with sufficient force into the bosom of
his enemy to understand that the onions and tobacco consumed in that
luxurious chamber would cause annoyance;--but he desired more than
annoyance;--he wanted to tear the very heart-strings of the young man
who had, as he thought, so signally outwitted him. He did not believe
that he was successful; but, in truth, he did make poor Ralph very
unhappy. The heir felt himself to be wounded, and could not eat and
drink, or walk and talk, or ride in the park, or play billiards at
his club, in a manner befitting the owner of Newton Priory. He was
so injured by Neefit that he became pervious to attacks which would
otherwise have altogether failed in reaching him. Lady Eardham would
never have prevailed agains