The old-fashioned sense of honour was too strong in him.

Pooh! He would go and dine, and then laugh away his evening somewhere or other.
Carefully he burnt the letter.

To-morrow he would look in at the office of those people, hear their story, and so have done with it.
Next morning he was still in the same mind.

He went to Tulks & Crowe's, and spent about an hour closeted with the senior member of that useful firm.

"A benevolent interest--anxious to help the poor devil if possible--miserable story, that of the marriage--was to be hoped that the girl would be persuaded to acknowledge him, and help him to lead an honest life--no idea where she was." The information he received was very full and satisfactory; on the spot he paid for it, and issued into the street again with tolerably easy mind.
To-morrow he must run down to Polterham again.