errupted, with his ugliest
of expressions. "Besides, as you have nothing and no prospects, what
earthly use would YOUR name on a paper be?"

"That's what I want to know," said I, feeling a little mortified, none
the less.

"Look here, laddie," he went on; "d'you see that pile of letters on the
left of the table?"

"Yes."

"Those are duns. And d'you see those documents on the right? Well, those
are County Court summonses. And, now, d'you see that;" he picked up a
little ledger, and showed me three or, four names scribbled on the first
page.

"That's the practice," he roared, and laughed until the great veins
jumped out on his forehead. His wife laughed heartily also, just as she
would have wept, had he been so disposed.

"It's this way, Munro," said he, when he had got over his paroxysm. "You
have probably heard--in fact, I have told you myself--that my father had
the finest practice in Scotland. As far as I could judge he was a man of
no capacity, but still there you are--he had it."

I nodded and smoked.

"Well, he's been dead seven years, and fifty nets dipping into his
little fish-pond. However, when I passed I thought my best move was to
come down to the old place, and see whether I couldn't piece the thing
together again. The name ought to be worth something, I thought. But it
was no use doing the thing in a half hearted way. Not a bit of use in
that, Munro. The kind of people who came to him were wealthy, and must
see a fine house and a man in livery. What chance was there of gathering
them into a bow-windowed forty pound-a-year house with a grubby-faced
maid at the door? What do you suppose I did? My boy, I took the
governor's old house, that was unlet--the very house that he kept up at
five thousand a year. Off I started in rare style, and sank my last cent
in furniture. But it's no use, laddie. I can't hold on any longer. I
got two accidents and an epileptic--twenty-two pounds, eight and
sixpence--that's the lot!

"What will you do, then?"

"That's what I wanted your advice about. That's why I wired for you. I
always respected your opinion, my boy, and I thought that now was the
time to have it."

It struck me that if he had asked for it nine months before there would
have been more sense in it. What on earth could I do when affairs were
in such a tangle? However, I could not help feeling complimented when so
independent a fellow as Cullingworth turned to me in this way.

"You really think," sa