Mr. Boxall choked an oath in his throat, or rather the oath nearly choked him. He turned and went down the stair again; but neither of them heard the outer door close. Thomas and Lucy stared at each other in dismay. The facts of the case were these, as near as I can guess. The _Ningpo_ had dropped down to Gravesend, and the Boxalls had joined her there. But some delay had arisen, and she was not to sail till the next morning. Mr. Boxall had resolved to make use of the time thus gained or lost, and had come up to town. I cannot help believing that it was by contrivance of Mr. Stopper, who had watched Tom and seen him go up the court, that he went through the door from his private room, instead of going round, which would have given warning to the lovers. Possibly he returned intending to see his mother; but after the discovery he made, avoided her, partly because he was angry and would not quarrel with her the last thing before his voyage. Upon maturer consideration, he must have seen that he had no ground for quarreling with her at all, for she could have known nothing about Tom in relation to Mary, except Tom had told her, which was not at all likely. But before he had had time to see this, he was on his way to Gravesend again. He was so touchy as well as obstinate about everything wherein his family was concerned, that the sight of Tom with his Mary's cousin was enough to drive all reflection out of him for an hour at least. Thomas and Lucy stood and stared at each other. Thomas stared from consternation; Lucy only stared at Tom. "Well, Thomas," she said at last, with a sweet, watery smile; for she had her lover, and she had lost her idol. She had got behind the scenes, and could worship no more; but Dagon was a fine idea, notwithstanding his fall, and if she could not set him up on his pedestal again, she would at least try to give him an arm-chair. Fish-tailed Dagon is an unfortunate choice for the simile, I know, critical reader; but let it pass, and the idea that it illustrates being by no means original, let the figure at least have some claim to the distinction. "Now he'll go and tell my father," said Tom; "and I wish you knew what a row my mother and he will make between them." "But why, Tom? Have they any prejudice against me? Do they know there is such a person?" "I don't know. They may have heard of you at your uncle's." "My father because you have no money, and my mother because you have no grace." "No grace, Tom? Am I so very clumsy?" Thomas burst out laughing. "I forgot," he said. "You were not brought up to my mother's slang. She and her set use Bible words till they make you hate them." "But you shouldn't hate them. They are good in themselves, though they be wrong used."