be as indiscreet as he might, he could not greatly lower her,
as long as she herself was prudent. It was thus that Polly argued
with herself. She knew her own value, and was not afraid that she
should ever lack a lover when she wanted to find a husband. Of course
it was not a nice thing to be thrown at a man's head, as her father
was constantly throwing her at the head of young Newton; but such a
man as she would give herself to at last would understand all that.
Ontario Moggs, could she ever bring herself to accept Ontario, would
not be less devoted to her because of her father's ill-arranged
ambition. Polly could be obstinate too, but with her obstinacy there
was combined a fund of feminine strength which, as we think, quite
justified the devotion of Ontario Moggs.

Amidst all these troubles Mrs. Neefit also had a bad time of it; so
bad a time that she was extremely anxious that Ontario should at once
carry off the prize;--Ontario, or the gasfitter, or almost anybody.
Neefit was taking to drink in the midst of all this confusion, and
was making himself uncommonly unpleasant in the bosom of his family.
On the Sunday,--the Sunday before the Monday on which the Herr
decided that his wisest course of action would be to abstain from
work and make a beast of himself, in order that he might spite his
master,--Mr. Neefit had dined at one o'clock, and had insisted on his
gin-and-water and pipe immediately after his dinner. Now Mr. Neefit,
when he took too much, did not fall into the extreme sins which
disgraced his foreman. He simply became very cross till he fell
asleep, very heavy while sleeping, and more cross than ever when
again awake. While he was asleep on this Sunday afternoon Ontario
Moggs came down to Hendon dressed in his Sunday best. Mrs. Neefit
whispered a word to him before he was left alone with Polly. "You be
round with her, and run your chance about the money." "Mrs. Neefit,"
said Ontario, laying his hand upon his heart, "all the bullion in the
Bank of England don't make a feather's weight in the balance." "You
never was mercenary, Mr. Ontario," said the lady. "My sweetheart is
to me more than a coined hemisphere," said Ontario. The expression
may have been absurd, but the feeling was there.

Polly was not at all coy of her presence,--was not so, though she
had been specially ordered by her father not to have anything to
say to that long-legged, ugly fool. "Handsome is as handsome does,"
Polly had answered.