eeing that he had not had a shilling there
for the last three months? Moggs himself, Moggs senior, came to
Ralph, and made himself peculiarly disagreeable. He had never heard
of such a thing on the part of a gentleman! Not to have his bill
taken up! To have his paper dishonoured! Moggs spoke of it as
though the heavens would fall; and he spoke of it, too, as though,
even should the heavens not fall, the earth would be made a very
tumultuous and unpleasant place for Mr. Newton, if Mr. Newton did not
see at once that these two hundred and odd pounds were forthcoming.
Moggs said so much that Ralph became very angry, turned him out of
the room, and told him that he should have his dirty money on the
morrow. On the morrow the dirty money was paid, Ralph having borrowed
the amount from Mr. Neefit. Mr. Moggs was quite content. His object
had been achieved, and, when the cash was paid, he was quite polite.
But Ralph Newton was not happy as he made the payment. He had
declared to himself, after writing that letter to his brother, that
the thing was settled by the very declaration made by him therein.
When he assured his brother that he would not sell his interest in
the property, he did, in fact, resolve that he would make Polly
Neefit his wife. And he did no more than follow up that resolution
when he asked Neefit for a small additional advance. His due would
not be given to the breeches-maker if it were not acknowledged that
on this occasion he behaved very well. He had told Ralph to come to
him when Moggs's "bit of stiff" came round. Moggs's "bit of stiff"
did come round, and "the Captain" did as he had been desired to do.
Neefit wrote out the cheque without saying a word about his daughter.
"Do you just run across to Argyle Street, Captain," said the
breeches-maker, "and get the stuff in notes." For Mr. Neefit's
bankers held an establishment in Argyle Street. "There ain't no need,
you know, to let on, Captain; is there?" said the breeches-maker.
Ralph Newton, clearly seeing that there was no need to "let on," did
as he was bid, and so the account was settled with Mr. Moggs. But now
as to settling the account with Mr. Neefit? Neefit had his own idea
of what was right between gentlemen. As the reader knows, he could
upon an occasion make his own views very clearly intelligible. He was
neither reticent nor particularly delicate. But there was something
within him which made him give the cheque to Ralph without a word
about Poll