can't live in it. I
know I would,--with the fust man as'd ask me." By these objurgations,
by a pertinacious refusal as to his hat, and a little yielding in the
matter of gin-and-water, Mr. Neefit was at length persuaded to remain
at home.

On the following morning he said nothing before he left home, but as
soon as he had opened his letters and spoken a few sharp things to
the two men in Conduit Street, he went off to Mr. Moggs senior. Of
the interview between Mr. Neefit and Mr. Moggs senior sufficient has
already been told. Then it was, after his return to his own shop,
that he so behaved as to drive the German artist into downright
mutiny and unlimited beer. Through the whole afternoon he snarled at
Waddle; but Waddle sat silent, bending over the ledger. One question
Waddle did answer.

"Where's that pig-headed German gone?" asked Mr. Neefit for the tenth
time.

"I believe he's cutting his throat about this time," said Mr. Waddle.

"He may wait till I come and sew it up," said the breeches-maker.

All this time Mr. Neefit was very unhappy. He knew, as well as did
Mr. Waddle or Polly, that he was misbehaving himself. He was by no
means deficient in ideas of duty to his wife, to his daughter, and to
his dependents. Polly was the apple of his eye; his one jewel;--in
his estimation the best girl that ever lived. He admired her in all
her moods, even though she would sometimes oppose his wishes with
invincible obstinacy. He knew in his heart that were she to marry
Ontario Moggs he would forgive her on the day of her marriage. He
could not keep himself from forgiving her though she were to marry a
chimney-sweep. But, as he thought, a great wrong was being done him.
He could not bring himself to believe that Polly would not marry
the young Squire, if the young Squire would only be true to his
undertaking; and then he could not endure that the young Squire
should escape from him, after having been, as it were, saved from
ruin by his money, without paying for the accommodation in some
shape. He had some inkling of an idea that in punishing Ralph by
making public the whole transaction, he would be injuring his
daughter as much as he injured Ralph. But the inkling did not
sufficiently establish itself in his mind to cause him to desist.
Ralph Newton ought to be made to repeat his offer before all the
world; even though he should only repeat it to be again refused. The
whole of that evening he sat brooding over it, so that