f the two, however, did not turn out entirely to the
satisfaction of his uncle.

"Hilary is such a confounded young rake," the latter used to say.
"He'll get himself into a most infernal mess one of these days."

Both dicta were true. Headstrong and susceptible, there was hardly ever
a time when Hilary Blachland was outside some entanglement: more than
once getting him into a serious scrape. Such, however, did not
invariably come to the ears of his uncle, though now and then they did,
and on one occasion Sir Luke found himself obliged to pay down a heavy
sum to keep an uncommonly awkward breach of promise case against his
nephew from coming into court. Hilary at last made Passmore too hot to
hold him, but the worst of it was that sooner or later the same held
good of everywhere else. Still, the infinity of trouble he gave him
notwithstanding, this scapegrace was the one of his two nephews for whom
Sir Luke had the softest place in his heart--but at last the climax
arrived, and the name of that climax was the name of the suit which we
have just heard Sir Luke mention. Therein Hilary _had_ got himself--as
his uncle had forcibly put it--"into a most infernal mess." His said
uncle, moreover, had found himself called upon to pay the somewhat heavy
damages and costs.

He need not have done so, of course. He might have left the scapegrace
to drag himself out of the mud he had got into. But, unlike many men
who have coined their own wealth, there was nothing close-fisted about
Sir Luke Canterby. He had disbursed the large sum with scarcely a
murmur--anything to close down the confounded scandal. But with Hilary
Blachland he was seriously angry and disgusted, and told him as much in
no halting terms. The other replied he had better go abroad--and the
sooner the better. So he took himself off--which, declared Sir Luke,
was the most sensible thing he had decided to do for some time. He
changed his mind though, on learning that Hilary had not gone alone,
and--missed him, as he put it to himself and his most intimate friend,
viz. Canon Lenthall, "like the very devil."

------------------------------------------------------------------------

"By the way," said Percival when lunch was half through. "I brought out
a later paper from Passmore. Here it is," producing it from the pocket
of his Norfolk jacket. "Want to see it, uncle? Not much news, I
expect."

"Let's see the stock and share column," holding out one