eorge himself had
spent money when he was young. The girls, who knew that they had no
fortunes, expected that everything should be done for them, at least
during the period of their natural harvest,--and they were successful
in having their expectations realised. They demanded that there
should be horses to ride, servants to attend them, and dresses to
wear; and they had horses, servants, and dresses. There were also
younger children; and Sir George was quite as anxious as Lady Eardham
that his daughters should become wives. "His own?--of course it's his
own. Who else should it belong to?"

"There was something about that other young man."

"The bastard! It was the greatest sin that ever was thought of to
palm such a fellow as that off on the county;--but it didn't come to
anything."

"I'm told, too, he has been very extravagant. No doubt he did get
money from the,--the tailor who wants to make him marry his
daughter."

"A flea-bite," said Sir George. "Don't you bother about that." Thus
authorised, Lady Eardham went to the work with a clear conscience and
a good will.

On the next morning Ralph received by post an envelope from Sir
Thomas Underwood containing a letter addressed to him from Mr.
Neefit. "Sir,--Are you going to make your ward act honourable to me
and my daughter?--Yours, respectful, THOMAS NEEFIT." The reader will
understand that this was prior to Polly's triumph over her father.
Ralph uttered a deep curse, and made up his mind that he must either
throw himself entirely among the Eardhams, or else start at once for
the Rocky Mountains. He dined in Cavendish Square that day, and again
took Gus down to dinner.

"I'm very glad to see you here," said Sir George, when they two
were alone together after the ladies had left them. Sir George, who
had been pressed upon home service because of the necessity of the
occasion, was anxious to get off to his club.

"You are very kind, Sir George," said Ralph.

"We shall be delighted to see you at Brayboro', if you'll come for
a week in September and look at the girls' horses. They say you're
quite a pundit about horseflesh."

"Oh, I don't know," said Ralph.

"You'll like to go up to the girls now, I dare say, and I've got
an engagement." Then Sir George rang the bell for a cab, and Ralph
went up-stairs to the girls. Emily had taken herself away; Josephine
was playing besique with her mother, and Gus was thus forced into
conversation with the young man. "Be