Butthatceremonyholdsandcandragamantohisundoingjustasthoroughlyasthe“longasyebothshalllive“cursefromthealtar-
rails，withthebridesmaidsgigglingbehind，and“TheVoicethatbreathedo\'erEden“liftingtheroofoff。InthismannerwasDickyHattkidnapped，andheconsidereditvastlyfine，forhehadreceivedanappointmentinIndiawhichcarriedamagnificentsalaryfromtheHomepointofview。Themarriagewastobekeptsecretforayear。ThenMrs。DickyHattwastocomeoutandtherestoflifewastobeagloriousgoldenmist。ThatwashowtheysketcheditundertheAddisonRoadStationlamps；and，afteroneshortmonth，cameGravesendandDickysteamingouttohisnewlife，andthegirlcryinginathirty-shillingsaweekbed-and-livingroom，inabackstreetoffMontpelierSquareneartheKnightsbridgeBarracks。
ButthecountrythatDickycametowasahardland，where“men“oftwenty-onewerereckonedverysmallboysindeed，andlifewasexpensive。Thesalarythatloomedsolargesixthousandmilesawaydidnotgofar。ParticularlywhenDickydivideditbytwo，andremittedmorethanthefairhalf，at1-6，toMontpelierSquare。Onehundredandthirty-fiverupeesoutofthreehundredandthirtyisnotmuchtoliveon；butitwasabsurdtosupposethatMrs。Hattcouldexistforeveronthe20poundsheldbackbyDicky，fromhisoutfitallowance。Dickysawthis，andremittedatonce；alwaysrememberingthatRs。700weretobepaid，twelvemonthslater，forafirst-classpassageoutforalady。Whenyouaddtothesetriflingdetailsthenaturalinstinctsofaboybeginninganewlifeinanewcountryandlongingtogoaboutandenjoyhimself，andthenecessityforgrapplingwithstrangework——which，properlyspeaking，shouldtakeupaboy\'sundividedattention——youwillseethatDickystartedhandicapped。Hesawithimselfforabreathortwo；buthedidnotguessthefullbeautyofhisfuture。
Asthehotweatherbegan，theshacklessettledonhimandateintohisflesh。Firstwouldcomeletters——big，crossed，sevensheetletters——fromhiswife，tellinghimhowshelongedtoseehim，andwhataHeavenuponearthwouldbetheirpropertywhentheymet。
ThensomeboyofthechummerywhereinDickylodgedwouldpoundonthedoorofhisbarelittleroom，andtellhimtocomeoutandlookatapony——theverythingtosuithim。Dickycouldnotaffordponies。Hehadtoexplainthis。Dickycouldnotaffordlivinginthechummery，modestasitwas。Hehadtoexplainthisbeforehemovedtoasingleroomnexttheofficewhereheworkedallday。Hekepthouseonagreenoil-clothtable-cover，onechair，onecharpoy，onephotograph，onetooth-glass，verystrongandthick，aseven-