In the meantime the cribbage went on, and Mrs. Todgers went off; for the youngest gentleman, dropping her society, began to take Miss Pecksniff to the play. He also began, as Mrs. Todgers said, to slip home `in his dinner-times,' and to get away from `the office' at unholy seasons; and twice, as he informed Mrs. Todgers himself, he received anonymous letters, enclosing cards from Furniture Warehouses--clearly the act of that ungentlemanly ruffian Jinkins: only he hadn't evidence enough to call him out upon. All of which, so Mrs. Todgers told Miss Pecksniff, spoke as plain English as the shining sun.

`My dear Miss Pecksniff, you may depend upon it,' said Mrs. Todgers, `that he is burning to propose.'

`My goodness me, why don't he then?' cried Cherry.

`Men are so much more timid than we think 'em, my dear,' returned Mrs. Todgers. `They baulk themselves continually. I saw the words on Todgers's lips for months and months and months, before he said 'em.'

Miss Pecksniff submitted that Todgers might not have been a fair specimen.

`Oh yes, he was. Oh bless you, yes, my dear. I was very particular in those days, I assure you,' said Mrs. Todgers, bridling. `No, no. You give Mr. Moddle a little encouragement, Miss Pecksniff, if you wish him to speak; and he'll speak fast enough, depend upon it.'

`I am sure I don't know what encouragement he would have, Mrs. Todgers,' returned Charity. `He walks with me, and plays cards with me and he comes and sits alone with me.'

`Quite right,' said Mrs. Todgers. `That's indispensable, my dear.'

`And he sits very close to me.'

`Also quite correct,' said Mrs. Todgers.

`And he looks at me.'

`To be sure he does,' said Mrs. Todgers.

`And he has his arm upon the back of the chair or sofa, or whatever it is--behind me, you know.'

`I should think so,' said Mrs. Todgers.

`And then he begins to cry!'

Mrs. Todgers admitted that he might do better than that; and might undoubtedly profit by the recollection of the great Lord Nelson's signal at the battle of Trafalgar. Still, she said, he would come round, or, not to mince the matter, would be brought round, if Miss Pecksniff took up a decided position, and plainly showed him that it must be done.

Determining to regulate her conduct by this opinion, the young lady received Mr. Moddle, on the earliest subsequent occasion, with an air of constraint and gradually leading him to inquire, in a dejected manner, why she was so changed, confessed to him that she felt it necessary for their mutual peace and happiness to take a decided step. They had been much together lately, she observed, much together, and had tasted the sweets of a genuine reciprocity of sentiment. She never could forget him, nor could she ever cease to think of him with feelings of the liveliest friendship, but people had begun to talk, the thing had been observed, and it was necessary that they should be nothing more to each other, than any gentleman and lady in society usually are. She was glad she had had the resolution to say thus much before her feelings had been tried too far; they had been greatly tried, she would admit; but though she was weak and silly, she would soon get the better of it, she hoped.