“And is my Maryanne mercenary?” said Robinson. “Now, George,” said she, “it’s no use you scolding me, and I won’t be scolded. Ma says that I must be civil to him, and I’m not going to quarrel with ma. At any rate not yet.” “But surely, Maryanne——” “It’s no good you surelying me, George, for I won’t be surelyed. If you don’t like me, you can leave me.” “Maryanne, I adore you.” “That’s all very well, and I hope you do; but why did you make a row with that man the other night?” “But, dearest love, he made the row with me.” “And when you did make it,” continued Maryanne, “why didn’t you see it out?” Robinson did not find it easy to answer. That matter has still dominion over mind, though the days are coming when mind shall have dominion over matter, was a lesson which, in after days, it would be sweet to teach her. But at the present moment the time did not serve for such teaching. “A man must look after his own, George, or else he’ll go to the wall,” she said, with a sneer. And then he parted from her in anger. But his love did not on that account wax cool, and so in his misery he had recourse to their mutual friend, Miss Twizzle. “The truth is this,” said Miss Twizzle, “I believe she’d take him, because he’s respectable and got a business.” “He’s horribly vulgar,” said Robinson. “Oh, bother!” said Miss Twizzle. “I know nothing about that. He’s got a business, and whoever marries Brisket won’t have to look for a bed to sleep on. But there’s a hitch about the money.” Then Mr. Robinson learned the facts. Mrs. McCockerell, as she was still called, had promised to give her daughter five hundred pounds as her marriage portion, but Mr. Brisket would not go to the altar till he got the money. “He wanted to extend himself,” he said, “and would not marry till he saw his way.” Hence had arisen that delay which Maryanne had solaced by her attendance at the music-hall. “But if you’re in earnest,” said Miss Twizzle, “don’t you be down on your luck. Go to old Brown, and make friends with him. He’ll stand up for you, because he knows his wife favours Brisket.” George Robinson did go to Mr. Brown, and on the father the young man’s eloquence was not thrown away. “She shall be yours, Mr. Robinson,” he said, after the first fortnight. “But we must be very careful with Mrs. B.” After the second fortnight Mrs. B. was no more! And in this way it came to pass that George Robinson was present as Mr. Brown’s adviser when that scheme respecting the haberdashery was first set on foot. At Westminster.