and
turned her head away. Polly had never been so tempted to commit an
assault; she thought with a burning brain how effective would be one
smart stroke on the dish of sausages with the handle of her umbrella.

Still hot from this encounter in the passage she came face to face with
Mrs. Bubb. The landlady seemed to hesitate, but before Polly had gone
by she addressed her with exaggerated politeness.

"Good morning, Miss Sparkes. So I s'pose we're losing you to-morrow?"

"Yes, you are," Polly replied, from a parched throat, glaring at her
enemy.

"Oh, then I'll put the card up!"

"Do! I wouldn't lose no time about it. And listen to this, Mrs. Bubb.
Next time you see your friend Mrs. Clover, you may tell her that if she
wants to know where her precious 'usband is she's not to ask _me_, 'cos
I wouldn't let her know, not if she was on her death-bed!"

Having uttered this surprising message, with point and emphasis worthy
of its significance, Polly hastened from the house. And Mrs. Bubb stood
looking after her in bewilderment.

CHAPTER VIII

MR. GAMMON'S RESOLVE

Convinced that his life was blighted, Mr. Gammon sang and whistled with
more than usual vivacity as he dressed each morning. It was not in his
nature to despond; he had received many a knock-down blow, and always
came up fresher after it. Mrs. Clover's veto upon his tender hopes with
regard to Minnie had not only distressed, but greatly surprised him;
for during the last few months he had often said to himself that,
whether Minnie favoured his suit or not, her mother's goodwill was a
certainty. His advances had been of the most delicate, no word of
distinct wooing had passed his lips; but he thought of Minnie a great
deal, and came to the decision that in her the hopes of his life were
centred. It might be that Minnie had no inkling of his intentions; she
was so modest, so unlike the everyday girls who tittered and ogled with
every marriageable man; on that very account he had made her his ideal.
And Mrs. Clover would help him as a mother best knows how. The shock of
learning that Mrs. Clover would do no such thing utterly confused his
mind. He still longed for Minnie, yet seemed of a sudden hopelessly
remote from her. He could not determine whether he had given her up or
not; he did not know whether to bow before Mrs. Clover or to protest
and persevere. He liked Mrs. Clover far too much to be angry with her;
he respected Minnie far too much to a