Each acted according to his lights.
'I don't mean gammon at all, Mrs.Davis--indeed, I don't--I'll be there on Tuesday night certainly, if not sooner--I will indeed--I shall be in a desperate scrape if they see me here talking to you any longer; there is a rule against women being in the office at all.' 'And there's a rule against the clerks marrying, I suppose,' said Mrs.Davis.
The colloquy ended in Charley promising to spend the Saturday evening at the 'Cat and Whistle,' with the view of then and there settling what he meant to do about 'that there girl'; nothing short of such an undertaking on his part would induce Mrs.Davis to budge.

Had she known her advantage she might have made even better terms.

He would almost rather have given her a written promise to marry her barmaid, than have suffered her to remain there till Mr.Oldeschole should return and see her there again.
So Mrs.Davis, with her basket and pocket-handkerchief, went her way about her marketing, and Charley, as he returned to his room, gave the strictest injunctions to the messenger that not, on any ground or excuse whatever, was any woman to be again allowed to see him at the office.
When, therefore, on the fine summer morning, with the early daylight all bright around him, Charley walked home from Mrs.
Val's party, he naturally felt sad enough.

He had one sixpence left in his pocket; he was engaged to spend the evening of the following day with the delightful Norah at the 'Cat and Whistle,' then and there to plight her his troth, in whatever formal and most irretrievable manner Mrs.Davis might choose to devise; and as he thought of these things he had ringing in his ears the last sounds of that angel voice, 'You will be steady, Charley, won't you?
I know you will, dear Charley--won't you now ?' Steady! Would not the best thing for him be to step down to Waterloo Bridge and throw himself over?
He still had money enough left to pay the toll--though not enough to hire a pistol.

And so he went home and got into bed.
On that same day, the day that was to witness Charley's betrothal to Miss Geraghty, and that of M.Jaquetanape with Miss Golightly, Alaric Tudor had an appointment with Sir Gregory Hardlines at the new office of the Civil Service Examination Board.