u, I never should have seen the Herr here."

"I never had a pair of brown cords in my life!" said the offended
captain. After this the conversation fell away, and the two warriors
went off to their military occupations at the Horse Guards, where, no
doubt, the Commander-in-chief was waiting for them with impatience.

Ralph Newton had much to think of, and much that required thinking of
at once. Did he mean to make an offer to Clary Underwood? Did he mean
to take Polly Neefit and her L20,000? Did he mean to marry at all?
Did he mean to go to the dogs? Had he ever in his life seen anybody
half so beautiful as Mary Bonner? What was he to say to Mr. Moggs?
How was he to manage about that L500 which Horsball would demand of
him in September? In what terms could he speak to Neefit of the money
due both for breeches and the loan, in the event of his declining
Polly? And then, generally, how was he to carry on the war? He was
thoroughly disgusted with himself as he thought of all the evil that
he had done, and of the good which he had omitted to do. While he was
yet at college Sir Thomas had been anxious that he should be called
to the Bar, and had again and again begged of him to consent to this
as a commencement of his life in London. But Ralph had replied,--and
had at last replied with so much decision that Sir Thomas had
abandoned the subject,--that as it was out of the question that he
should ever make money at the Bar, the fact of his being called would
be useless to him. He argued that he need not waste his life because
he was not a lawyer. It was not his intention to waste his life. He
had a sufficient property of his own at once, and must inherit a much
larger property later in life. He would not be called to the Bar, nor
would he go into the army, nor would he go abroad for any lengthened
course of travelling. He was fond of hunting, but he would keep his
hunting within measure. Surely an English private gentleman might
live to some profit in his own country! He would go out in honours,
and take a degree, and then make himself happy among his books. Such
had been his own plan for himself at twenty-one. At twenty-two he had
quarrelled with the tutor at his college, and taken his name off the
books without any degree. About this, too, he had argued with Sir
Thomas, expressing a strong opinion that a university degree was in
England, of all pretences, the most vain and hollow. At twenty-three
he began his career at the