eed in getting any animal out of Mr.
Horsball's stables, nor did he make further attempt to carry his last
threat into execution on that morning. Mr. Horsball now led the way
into the house, while Mr. Pepper mounted his nag. Captain Fooks and
Lieutenant Cox went in to their breakfast, and the unfortunate father
followed them. It was now nearly eleven o'clock, and it was found
that Ralph's horses had been taken round to the other door, and that
he had already started. He said very little to any one during the
day, though he was somewhat comforted by information conveyed to him
by Mr. Horsball in the course of the afternoon that Mr. Neefit had
returned to London. "You send your lawyer to him, Squire," said Mr.
Horsball. "Lawyers cost a deal of money, but they do make things
straight." This suggestion had also been made to him by his brother
Gregory.

On the following day Ralph went up to London, and explained all the
circumstances of the case to Mr. Carey. Mr. Carey undertook to do his
best to straighten this very crooked episode in his client's life.

CHAPTER XLVII.

THE WAY WHICH SHOWS THAT THEY MEAN IT.

If this kind of thing were to go on, life wouldn't be worth having.
That was the feeling of Ralph, the squire of Newton, as he returned
on that Saturday from London to the Moonbeam; and so far Mr. Neefit
had been successful in carrying out his threat. Neefit had sworn
that he would make the young man's life a burden to him, and the
burden was already becoming unbearable. Mr. Carey had promised to do
something. He would, at any rate, see the infatuated breeches-maker
of Conduit Street. In the meantime he had suggested one remedy of
which Ralph had thought before,--"If you were married to some one
else he'd give it up," Mr. Carey had suggested. That no doubt was
true.

Ralph completed his sojourn at the Moonbeam, leaving that place at
the end of the first week in April, took a run down to his own place,
and then settled himself up to London for the season. His brother
Gregory had at this time returned to the parsonage at Newton; but
there was an understanding that he was to come up to London and be
his brother's guest for the first fortnight in May. Ralph the heir
had taken larger rooms, and had a spare chamber. When Ralph had given
this invitation, he had expressed his determination of devoting his
spring in town to an assiduous courtship of Mary Bonner. At the
moment in which he made that assertion down