ted Cai, "that nothing beyond the School
Board is in question at present. I mention this strictly between
ourselves."

Mr Benny swung about upon his stool. "Listen to this, Captain Hocken--
'Observe, sir, that, besides the desire which all men have naturally of
supporting the honour of their own government, that sense of dignity and
that security to property which ever attends freedom, has'--or, as I
should prefer to say, _have_--'a tendency to increase the stock of the
free community. Much may be taken where most is accumulated. And what
is the soil or climate where experience has not uniformly proved that
the voluntary flow of heaped-up plenty, bursting from the weight of
heaped-up luxuriance, has ever run with a more copious stream of
revenue, than could be squeezed from the dry husks of oppressed
indigence by the straining of all the machinery in the world?'
That is Burke, sir--Burke: who, by the fribbles of his own day, was
lightly termed the dinner-bell of the House of Commons, yet compelled
the attention of all serious political thinkers--"

'Th' applause of listening Senates to command.'

"I divine your ambition. Captain Hocken, and I honour it,"

"So long as you don't mistake me," urged Cai nervously. "It don't go
beyond a seat on the School Board at present. . . . But there was a hint
dropped that you used, back-along, to give lessons in--I forget the
word."

"Elocution," Mr Benny supplied it. "A guinea the course of six lessons
was my old charge. Shall we say to-morrow, at eleven sharp?"

"So be it," Cai agreed. "The sooner the better--I've to catch up the
lee-way of three-quarters of a lifetime."

When Cai had folded the draft of his letter, bestowed it in his
breast-pocket, and taken his departure, Mr Benny drew out his watch.
It yet wanted a full hour of dinner-time. He rearranged the papers on
his desk and resumed work upon the 'Fasti':--

"The hound beside the hare held consort in the shade,
The hind, the lioness, upon the self-same rock,
The too loquacious crow--"

Here some one knocked at the door.

"Come in!" called Mr Benny.

The door opened. The visitor was Captain Hunken.

"Good mornin'."

"Ah! Good morning, sir!"

"Busy?"

"Dallying, sir,--dallying with the Muses. That is all my business
nowadays."

"I looked in," said 'Bias, laying down his hat, "to ask if you would do
me a small favour."

"You may be sure of it, Captain Hunken: that is, if it s