patience with his
weaknesses than they.

It had been understood all along, that, as soon as Philip's course at
the university was over, he was to take his place in his father's
office, and to give all his time and thoughts to his father's business.
He had never been quite pleased with the idea, and had all along hoped
that something might happen to render unnecessary a step so distasteful
to him. Nothing had happened, and he was inclined to fancy that he was
making a sacrifice to his father's business and his father's desire for
wealth, and to claim sympathy because of this.

"And would you be a great help to your father?" asked Mrs Inglis, one
day, when he had got thus far.

"I don't know. I am sure I don't think so, hating business as I do.
But he must think so, or he would not be so bent on my coming to the
office and tying myself down. It will come to that, I dare say," said
he, with a sigh.

Mrs Inglis smiled.

"Is it not possible that he may wish it for your sake rather than his
own? And how do you know that you hate business? You have never given
it a fair trial, have you?"

"No, I have not tried it steadily," said he, answering her last question
first. "But then one can tell what one does not like without trying it
very long. I dare say my father thinks it would be a good thing for me
to fix myself at the bank. But a man must judge for himself before he
submits to be tied down for life."

"But is it not possible that it is the tying down which is distasteful?
And every man must submit to be tied down to something. What would you
like to do better."

"Oh! almost anything. I should like the profession of the law better."
And then he added, after a little, "I should like it better for one
thing. I need not enter an office till the autumn."

"I am afraid it is the tying down that is the trouble, after all," said
she.

"No, I assure you--not altogether--though, I acknowledge, it would be a
fine thing to let business slide--to have nothing at all to do."

"I do not agree with you. I think it would be the very worst thing that
could happen to you to have nothing to do," said Mrs Inglis, gravely.

"To me, especially, do you mean? Well, I don't quite mean that; but I
think Mr Caldwell was right when he told my father that, if he had
meant me for business, he should have put me to it long ago."

"Do you mean that you regret having been sent to the university?"

"I mean that I should have be