ming monkey.

'There again! your new philosophy!' exclaimed the invalid. 'Why, it
isn't even wholesome stuff, the kind of reading that most of you
force on the public. Now there's the man who has married one of my
nieces--poor lass! Reardon, his name is. You know him, I dare say.
Just for curiosity I had a look at one of his books; it was called "The
Optimist." Of all the morbid trash I ever saw, that beat everything. I
thought of writing him a letter, advising a couple of anti-bilious pills
before bedtime for a few weeks.'

Jasper glanced at Alfred Yule, who wore a look of indifference.

'That man deserves penal servitude in my opinion,' pursued John. 'I'm
not sure that it isn't my duty to offer him a couple of hundred a year
on condition that he writes no more.'

Milvain, with a clear vision of his friend in London, burst into
laughter. But at that point Alfred rose from his chair.

'Shall we rejoin the ladies?' he said, with a certain pedantry
of phrase and manner which often characterised him.

'Think over your ways whilst you're still young,' said John as he shook
hands with his visitor.

'Your brother speaks quite seriously, I suppose?' Jasper remarked when
he was in the garden with Alfred.

'I think so. It's amusing now and then, but gets rather tiresome when
you hear it often. By-the-bye, you are not personally acquainted with Mr
Fadge?'

'I didn't even know his name until you mentioned it.'

'The most malicious man in the literary world. There's no
uncharitableness in feeling a certain pleasure when he gets into a
scrape. I could tell you incredible stories about him; but that kind of
thing is probably as little to your taste as it is to mine.'

Miss Harrow and her companions, having caught sight of the pair, came
towards them. Tea was to be brought out into the garden.

'So you can sit with us and smoke, if you like,' said Miss Harrow to
Alfred. 'You are never quite at your ease, I think, without a pipe.'

But the man of letters was too preoccupied for society. In a few minutes
he begged that the ladies would excuse his withdrawing; he had two or
three letters to write before post-time, which was early at Finden.

Jasper, relieved by the veteran's departure, began at once to make
himself very agreeable company. When he chose to lay aside the topic of
his own difficulties and ambitions, he could converse with a spontaneous
gaiety which readily won the good-will of listeners. Naturally
he addres