In Mr.Sparkes' opinion the best bait for these fish was a bit of dough kneaded up with loose wool.
Chaffey's--at all events, Chaffey's of to-day--would not have known its head waiter could it have seen and heard him as he thus held forth.

The hostess showed a fear lest Mr.Nelson should have more than enough of Cockney angling; but he and Minnie were at one in good-natured attentiveness, and in the end Mrs.Clover overcame her uneasiness.
A few days after this Minnie's mother, overcoming a secret scruple and yielding to a long desire, allowed herself to write a letter to Mr.
Gammon.

It was a very simple, not ill-composed letter; its object to express regret for the ill temper she had shown, now many weeks ago, on her parting with Mr.Gammon in Kennington Road.

Would he not look in at the china shop just in the old way?
It would please her very much, for indeed she had never meant or dreamt a termination to their friendship.
They had known each other so long.

Would not Mr.Gammon overlook her foolishness, remembering all she had had to go through?
So she signed herself his "friend always the same," and having done so looked at the last line rather timidly, and made haste to close the letter.
An answer arrived without undue delay, and Mrs.Clover went apart to read it, her breath quicker than usual, and her fingers tremulous.