ennis, and
his drill nights, interfered badly with his acceptance of the
invitations sent him. He had, too, made many friends in his commission
work and politics, so that he had relatively less time to give to his
older ones. The absence of Miss De Voe and Lispenard somewhat reduced
his social obligations it is true, but the demands on his time were
multiplying fast.

One of these demands was actual law work. The first real case to come to
him was from the contractor who had served on the tenement-commission.
He was also employed by the Health Board as special counsel in a number
of prosecutions, to enforce clauses of his Food Bill. The papers said it
was because of his familiarity with the subject, but Peter knew it was
the influence of Green, who had become a member of that Board. Then he
began to get cases from the "district," and though there was not much
money in each case, before long the number of them made a very
respectable total.

The growth of his practice was well proven by a suggestion from Dummer
that they should join forces. "Mr. Bohlmann wants to give you some of
his work, and it's easier to go into partnership than to divide his
practice."

Peter knew that Dummer had a very lucrative business of a certain kind,
but he declined the offer.

"I have decided never to take a case which has not right on its side."

"A lawyer is just as much bound to try a case as a physician is bound to
take a patient."

"That is what lawyers say outside, but they know better."

"Well, have your scruples. We'll make the firm cases only such as you
choose. I'll manage the others."

"I should like to," said Peter. "I'm very grateful for the offer--but we
could hardly do that successfully. If the firm was good for anything, we
should be known as belonging to it, and the public could not well
discriminate."

So that chance of success was passed. But every now and then Bohlmann
sent him something to do, and Dummer helped him to a joint case
occasionally.

So, though friends grew steadily in numbers, society saw less and less
of Peter. Those who cared to study his tastes came to recognize that to
force formal entertaining on him was no kindness, and left it to Peter
to drop in when he chose, making him welcome when he came.

He was pleased to get a letter from Lispenard during the winter, from
Japan. It was long, but only the first paragraph need be quoted, for the
rest related merely to his travels:

"The bree