alth is so poor," his father explained to Lord
Warburton. "It affects his mind and colours his way of looking at
things; he seems to feel as if he had never had a chance. But it's
almost entirely theoretical, you know; it doesn't seem to affect his
spirits. I've hardly ever seen him when he wasn't cheerful--about as he
is at present. He often cheers me up."

The young man so described looked at Lord Warburton and laughed. "Is it
a glowing eulogy or an accusation of levity? Should you like me to carry
out my theories, daddy?"

"By Jove, we should see some queer things!" cried Lord Warburton.

"I hope you haven't taken up that sort of tone," said the old man.

"Warburton's tone is worse than mine; he pretends to be bored. I'm not
in the least bored; I find life only too interesting."

"Ah, too interesting; you shouldn't allow it to be that, you know!"

"I'm never bored when I come here," said Lord Warburton. "One gets such
uncommonly good talk."

"Is that another sort of joke?" asked the old man. "You've no excuse for
being bored anywhere. When I was your age I had never heard of such a
thing."

"You must have developed very late."

"No, I developed very quick; that was just the reason. When I was twenty
years old I was very highly developed indeed. I was working tooth and
nail. You wouldn't be bored if you had something to do; but all you
young men are too idle. You think too much of your pleasure. You're too
fastidious, and too indolent, and too rich."

"Oh, I say," cried Lord Warburton, "you're hardly the person to accuse a
fellow-creature of being too rich!"

"Do you mean because I'm a banker?" asked the old man.

"Because of that, if you like; and because you have--haven't you?--such
unlimited means."

"He isn't very rich," the other young man mercifully pleaded. "He has
given away an immense deal of money."

"Well, I suppose it was his own," said Lord Warburton; "and in that case
could there be a better proof of wealth? Let not a public benefactor
talk of one's being too fond of pleasure."

"Daddy's very fond of pleasure--of other people's."

The old man shook his head. "I don't pretend to have contributed
anything to the amusement of my contemporaries."

"My dear father, you're too modest!"

"That's a kind of joke, sir," said Lord Warburton.

"You young men have too many jokes. When there are no jokes you've
nothing left."

"Fortunately there are always more jokes," the ugly young man remar