of the young journalist.
But there he had remained, as so many do remain from twenty-one to their
last day, while the strain of seriousness in the nature of Henry, and
the richness of the virgin soil in him for the City to plough, had
produced a growth of character which in the intervening years had shot
him far ahead of Edgar in every respect.

Whether Edgar's friendship for Henry sprang from the true root of
affection, or was merely the outcome of a desire to stand well in the
favour of one whose friendship would be well worth having from a
business point of view, cannot be stated with confidence, but there is a
fair supposition that it was of the latter quality, since natures like
Edgar's are seldom capable of true friendship, though they boil and
bubble with good fellowship for all who are brought into relation with
them. Perhaps Edgar had learned at an early age the knack of spotting
"useful men to know," which accounts for much in the success of those
whose endowments are meagre.

In any case, the broad result was the same. Henry and Edgar were
friends, and if Henry had long since concluded that Edgar was of the
empty-headed, rattling order of mankind, still he tolerated him, if
merely because he had been one of the first designed by Fate to intimate
association with him when the life-battle began. He could even have
tolerated the suggestion of friendship between Trevor Smith and himself
for the same reason, while knowing now in his heart that Trevor was a
humbug.

The meeting between the two at the station was very cordial, and Edgar
let his imp of news leap free to Henry, to work its wild way in his
mind.

"You are just in the nick of time, and no mistake. If I hadn't known you
would be back to-day, I should have wired you this morning--that is, of
course, if a telegram could get to that benighted village of yours."

"The nick of time? Wire? What has happened?"

"A very great deal. Oh, we've had a nice old kick-up at the _Leader_!"

"Kick-up! Have Macgregor and Jones been squabbling again?"

"The fact is, Mac has had to resign; it only took place last night, and
we all suppose that you will get the crib."

"But surely Macgregor has not let one of these wretched bickerings lead
to his resignation?"

"Oh dear, no! He has done a giddier thing than that, and will clear out
of Laysford like a dog with its tail down. The fact is, he has been
caught cheating at cards at the Liberal Club, and the _Leader_ c