"Bother young men," said the breeches-maker. After that the interview pa.s.sed off, if not very pleasantly, at least smoothly,--and it was understood that Mr. Neefit was to abandon that system of persecution against Ralph Newton, to which his life had been devoted for the last few weeks.
After that there was a pretty little correspondence between Polly and Ralph, with which the story of Polly"s maiden life may be presumed to be ended, and which shall be given to the reader, although by doing so the facts of our tale will be somewhat antic.i.p.ated. Polly, with her father"s permission, communicated the fact of her engagement to her former lover.
Hendon, Sat.u.r.day.
DEAR SIR,--
Father thinks it best that I should tell you that I am engaged to marry Mr. Ontario Moggs,--whom you will remember. He is a most respectable tradesman, and stood once for a member of Parliament, and I think he will make me quite happy; and I"m quite sure that"s what I"m fitted for.
Whether Polly meant that she was fitted to be made happy, or fitted to be the wife of a tradesman who stood for Parliament, did not appear quite clearly.
There have been things which we are very sorry for, and hope you"ll forgive and forget. Father bids me say how sorry he is he broke a figure of a pretty little man in your room. He would get another, only he would not know where to go for it.
Wishing you always may be happy, believe me to remain,
Yours most respectfully,
MARYANNE NEEFIT.
Ralph"s answer was dated about a fortnight afterwards;--
--, Cavendish Square, 1 June, 186--.
MY DEAR POLLY,--
I hope you will allow me to call you so now for the last time. I am, indeed, happy that you are going to be married. I believe Mr. Moggs to be a most excellent fellow. I hope I may often see him,--and sometimes you.
He must allow you to accept a little present which I send you, and never be jealous if you wear it at your waist.
The pretty little man that your father broke by accident in my rooms did not signify at all. Pray tell him so from me.
Believe me to be your very sincere friend,
RALPH NEWTON.
I may as well tell you my own secret. I am going to be married, too. The young lady lives in this house, and her name is Augusta Eardham.
This letter was sent by messenger from Cavendish Square, with a very handsome watch and chain. A month afterwards, when he was preparing to leave London for Brayboro" Park, he received a little packet, with a note as follows;--
Linton, Devonshire, Wednesday.
DEAR MR. NEWTON,--
I am so much obliged for the watch, and so is Ontario, who will never be jealous, I"m sure. It is a most beautiful thing, and I shall value it, oh! so much. I am very glad you are going to be married, and should have answered before, only I wanted to finish making with my own hand a little chain which I send you. And I hope your sweetheart won"t be jealous either. We looked her out in a book, and found she is the daughter of a great gentleman with a t.i.tle. That is all just as it should be. Ontario sends his respects. We have come down here for the honeymoon.
I remain, yours very sincerely,
MARYANNE MOGGS.
CHAPTER LIV.
MY MARY.
Both the invitations sent by Patience Underwood were accepted, and Sir Thomas, on the day named, was at home to receive them. Nothing had as yet been done as to the constructing of those cases which he so suddenly ordered to be made for his books; and, indeed, Stemm had resolved to take the order as meaning nothing. It would not be for him to accelerate his master"s departure from Southampton Buildings, and he knew enough of the man to be aware that he must have some very strong motive indeed before so great a change could be really made.
When Sir Thomas left Southampton Buildings for Fulham, on the day named for the dinner, not a word further had been said about packing the books.
There was no company at the villa besides Sir Thomas, the three girls, and the two young men. As to Clarissa, Patience said not a word, even to her father,--that must still be left till time should further cure the wound that had been made;--but she did venture to suggest, in private with Sir Thomas, that it was a pity that he who was certainly the more worthy of the two Ralphs should not be made to understand that others did not think so much of the present inferiority of his position in the world as he seemed to think himself.
"You mean that Mary would take him?" asked Sir Thomas.
"Why should she not, if she likes him? He is very good."
"I can"t tell him to offer to her, without telling him also that he would be accepted."
"No;--I suppose not," said Patience.
Nevertheless, Sir Thomas did speak to Ralph Newton before dinner,--stuttering and muttering, and only half finishing his sentence. "We had a correspondence once, Mr. Newton. I dare say you remember."
"I remember it very well, Sir Thomas."
"I only wanted to tell you;--you seem to think more about what has taken place,--I mean as to the property,--than we do;--that is, than I do."
"It has made a change."
"Yes; of course. But I don"t know that a large place like Newton is sure to make a man happy. Perhaps you"d like to wash your hands before dinner." Gregory, in the meantime, was walking round the garden with Mary and Clarissa.
The dinner was very quiet, but pleasant and cheerful. Sir Thomas talked a good deal, and so did Patience. Mary also was at her ease, and able to do all that was required of her. Ralph certainly was not gay. He was seated next to Clarissa, and spoke a few words now and again; but he was arranging matters in his mind; and Patience, who was observing them all, knew that he was pre-occupied. Clarissa, who now and again would forget her sorrow and revert to her former self,--as she had done in the picture-gallery,--could not now, under the eye as it were of her father, her sister, and her old lover, forget her troubles. She knew what was expected of her; but she could not do it;--she could not do it at least as yet. Nevertheless, Patience, who was the engineer in the present crisis, was upon the whole contented with the way in which things were going.
The three girls sat with the gentlemen for a quarter of an hour after the decanters were put upon the table, and then withdrew. Sir Thomas immediately began to talk about Newton Priory, and to ask questions which might interest the parson without, as he thought, hurting the feelings of the disinherited Ralph. This went on for about five minutes, during which Gregory was very eloquent about his church and his people, when, suddenly, Ralph rose from his chair and withdrew.
"Have I said anything that annoyed him?" asked Sir Thomas anxiously.
"It is not that, I think," said Gregory.
Ralph walked across the pa.s.sage, opened the door of the drawing-room, in which the three girls were at work, walked up to the chair in which Mary Bonner was sitting, and said something in so low a voice that neither of the sisters heard him.
"Certainly I will," said Mary, rising from her chair. Patience glanced round, and could see that the colour, always present in her cousin"s face, was heightened,--ever so little indeed; but still the tell-tale blush had told its tale. Ralph stood for a moment while Mary moved away to the door, and then followed her without speaking a word to the other girls, or bestowing a glance on either of them.
"He is going to propose to her," said Clarissa as soon as the door was shut.