.M., by which on that
evening Sir Thomas Underwood travelled, shaking off from his feet as
he entered the carriage the dust of that most iniquitous borough.

CHAPTER XLV.

"NEVER GIVE A THING UP."

Mr. Neefit's conduct during this period of disappointment was not
exactly what it should to have been, either in the bosom of his
family or among his dependents in Conduit Street. Herr Bawwah, over
a pot of beer in the public-house opposite, suggested to Mr. Waddle
that "the governor might be ----," in a manner that affected Mr.
Waddle greatly. It was an eloquent and energetic expression of
opinion,--almost an expression of a settled purpose as coming from
the German as it did come; and Waddle was bound to admit that cause
had been given. "Fritz," said Waddle pathetically, "don't think about
it. You can't better the wages." Herr Bawwah looked up from his pot
of beer and muttered a German oath. He had been told that he was
beastly, skulking, pig-headed, obstinate, drunken, with some other
perhaps stronger epithets which may be omitted,--and he had been told
that he was a German. In that had lain the venom. There was the word
that rankled. He had another pot of beer, and though it was then only
twelve o'clock on a Monday morning Herr Bawwah swore that he was
going to make a day of it, and that old Neefit might cut out the
stuff for himself if he pleased. As they were now at the end of
March, which is not a busy time of the year in Mr. Neefit's trade,
the great artist's defalcation was of less immediate importance;
but, as Waddle knew, the German was given both to beer and obstinacy
when aroused to wrath; and what would become of the firm should the
obstinacy continue?

"Where's that pig-headed German brute?" asked Mr. Neefit, when Mr.
Waddle returned to the establishment. Mr. Waddle made no reply; and
when Neefit repeated the question with a free use of the epithets
previously omitted by us, Waddle still was dumb, leaning over his
ledger as though in that there were matters so great as to absorb his
powers of hearing. "The two of you may go and be ---- together!" said
Mr. Neefit. If any order requiring immediate obedience were contained
in this, Mr. Waddle disobeyed that order. He still bent himself over
the ledger, and was dumb. Waddle had been trusted with his master's
private view in the matter of the Newton marriage, and felt that on
this account he owed a debt of forbearance to the unhappy father.

The breec