second time. My rich cousin (who is intellectually fit to be at the tail
of the family, and who is, therefore, as a matter of course, at the head
of it) has been good enough to remember my existence; and has offered
his influence to serve my eldest boy. Read his letter, and then observe
the sequence of events. My rich cousin is a booby who thrives on
landed property; he has done something for another booby who thrives on
Politics, who knows a third booby who thrives on Commerce, who can do
something for a fourth booby, thriving at present on nothing, whose name
is Frank. So the mill goes. So the cream of all human rewards is sipped
in endless succession by the Fools. I shall pack Frank off to-morrow. In
course of time he'll come back again on our hands, like a bad shilling;
more chances will fall in his way, as a necessary consequence of his
meritorious imbecility. Years will go on--I may not live to see it,
no more may you--it doesn't matter; Frank's future is equally certain
either way--put him into the army, the Church, politics, what you
please, and let him drift: he'll end in being a general, a bishop, or
a minister of State, by dint of the great modern qualification of doing
nothing whatever to deserve his place." With this summary of his son's
worldly prospects, Mr. Clare tossed the letter contemptuously across the
table and poured himself out another cup of tea.

Mr. Vanstone read the letter with eager interest and pleasure. It was
written in a tone of somewhat elaborate cordiality; but the practical
advantages which it placed at Frank's disposal were beyond all doubt.
The writer had the means of using a friend's interest--interest of no
ordinary kind--with a great Mercantile Firm in the City; and he had at
once exerted this influence in favor of Mr. Clare's eldest boy. Frank
would be received in the office on a very different footing from the
footing of an ordinary clerk; he would be "pushed on" at every available
opportunity; and the first "good thing" the House had to offer, either
at home or abroad, would be placed at his disposal. If he possessed fair
abilities and showed common diligence in exercising them, his fortune
was made; and the sooner he was sent to London to begin the better for
his own interests it would be.

"Wonderful news!" cried Mr. Vanstone, returning the letter. "I'm
delighted--I must go back and tell them at home. This is fifty times
the chance that mine was. What the deuce do you mean by