n it. This was really unfair to the husband in Flanders who had
displayed extraordinary bravery in holding an isolated post for goodness
knows how many hours. It would not do to assert that Mr. Spokesly ever
played with the idea of consoling a possible widow who already admired
him. He had not sufficient imagination for this. And Ada herself was
quite able to hold up her end. She made Mr. Spokesly feel not only
great, but good. It was she who led him to see where his weakness lay, a
success possible only to a clever girl. Unconscious of her promptings,
he came to the conclusion that, to do himself justice, he must make an
effort and "improve his education." When he heard the sisters rattling
away in a foreign tongue he made a mental note that "he must rub up his
French." The London School of Mnemonics, however, did the trick. It was
just what he wanted. This school had a wonderful system of
memory-training which was endorsed by kings and emperors, merchant
princes and famous mezzo-sopranos. By means of this system, learned in
twelve lessons, you trebled your intellectual power, quadrupled your
earning power, and quintupled your general value to yourself and to the
world. The system was comprised in twelve books of aphorisms, slim
volumes in gray-green paper covers, daintily printed and apparently
addressed straight to Mr. Spokesly's heart. First, he was told, he was
capable of anything. He knew that, and with an almost physical feeling
of pleasure he read on. Second, came a little story about a celebrated
philosopher. Mr. Spokesly was charmed.

It must not be supposed, however, that this was all bunkum to Mr.
Spokesly. It was, on the contrary, deadly earnest. Like many Englishmen
of his day, he knew there was something wrong with him. He was aware of
people in the world who used their brains and held clear notions about
things and ideas, very much as a man groping along a foggy street is
aware of a _conversazione_ in one of the mansions. To him the London
School of Mnemonics was a sound commercial proposition. In twelve
lessons, by correspondence, they offered to develop his memory,
stimulate his will power, and increase his salary. He had picked up the
first half-dozen pamphlets in his fiancee's home. The husband of the
married sister had taken the course as far as Number Six, which was:
"How to Dominate Your Friends," with a chatty essay on Hypnotism and
Matrimony, before leaving for Flanders and glory. Mr. Spokesly re