from cases I have watched in my own family, bad air and bad
treatment will occasionally aid its march. Could you, from
such meagre data as these, help me with a word of advice?
for I do like the advice of an unscrupulous dog-like
yourself--so sure to be practical Then there is no cant
between men like us--we play 'cartes sur table.'

"The old maid who represents the head of this house has been
confidentially sounding me as to an eligible investment for
some thousands which have fallen in from a redeemed
mortgage. I could have said, 'Send them to me, and you shall
name the interest yourself;' but I was modest, and did not.
I bethought me, however, of a good friend, one Algy Drayton,
a man of large landed property, but who always wants money
for drainage. Eh, Algy! Are your lips watering at the
prospect? If so, let your ingenuity say what is to be the
security.

"Before I forget it, ask Pearson if he has any more of that
light Amontillado. It is the only thing ever sets me right,
and I have been poorly of late. I know I must be out of
sorts, because all day yesterday I was wretched and
miserable at my misspent life and squandered abilities. Now,
in my healthier moments, such thoughts never cross me. I'd
have been honest if Nature had dealt fairly with me; but
the younger son of a younger brother starts too heavily
weighted to win by anything but a 'foul' You understand this
well, for we are in the same book. We each of us pawned our
morality very early in life, and never were rich enough to
redeem it. Apropos of pledges, is your wife alive? I lost a
bet about it some time ago, but I forget on which side. I
backed my opinion.

"Now, to sum up. Let me hear from you about all I have
been asking; and, though I don't opine it lies very much in
your way, send me any tidings you can pick up--to his
disadvantage, of course--of Joseph Loyd, Middle
Temple. You know scores of attorneys who could trace him.
Your hint about letter writing for the papers is not a bad
one. I suppose I could learn the trick, and do it at
least as well as some of the fellows whose lucubrations I
read. A political surmise, a spicy bit of scandal, a
sensation trial wound up with a few moral reflections upon
how much better we do th