her;--if it's for
twenty years." "So I will;--but I'd like to begin the twenty years
by making her Mrs. Moggs," said Ontario. Now Mr. Moggs senior knew
to a penny what money old Neefit could give his daughter, and placed
not the slightest trust in that threat about the smock in which she
stood upright. Polly would certainly get the better of her father as
Ontario always got the better of him. Ontario made no immediate reply
to his father, but he found himself getting all wrong among the boots
and shoes which had been supplied to that aristocratic young member
of Parliament. "You don't mean as it's all off?" asked Moggs senior.

"No; it isn't all off."

"Then why don't you go in at it?"

"Why don't I go in at it?" said Ontario, closing the book in hopeless
confusion of mind and figures. "I'd give every pair of boots in this
place, I'd give all the business, to get a kind word from her."

"Isn't she kind?"

"Kind;--yes, she's kind enough in a way. She's everything just
what she ought to be. That's what she is. Don't you go on about it,
father. I'm as much in earnest as you can be. I shan't give it up
till she calls somebody else her husband; and then,--; why then
I shall just cut it, and go off to uncle in Canada. I've got my
mind made up about all that." And so he left the shop, somewhat
uncourteously perhaps. But he had worked his way back into his
father's good graces by his determination to stick to Neefit's girl.
A young man ought to be allowed to attend trades' unions, or any
other meetings, if he will marry a girl with twenty thousand pounds.
That evening Ontario Moggs went to the Cheshire Cheese, and was
greater than ever.

It has been already told how, on a Sunday subsequent to this, he
managed to have himself almost closeted with Polly, and how he was
working himself into her good graces, when he was disturbed by Mr.
Neefit and turned out of the house. Polly's heart had been yielding
during the whole of that interview. There had come upon her once a
dream that it would be a fine thing to be the lady of Newton;--and
the chance had been hers. But when she set herself to work to
weigh it all, and to find out what it was that young Newton really
wanted,--and what he ought to want, she shook off from herself that
dream before it had done her any injury. She meant to be married
certainly. As to that she had no doubt. But then Ontario Moggs was
such a long-legged, awkward, ugly, shambling fellow, and Moggs as