other noble prize.

For myself, I can truly say I had no ambition at this time beyond
earning my bread, for I pretty well knew I had to trust entirely to
my own exertions. The fortunate have many friends, and it is just the
fortunate who are best without them. I had none, and desired none,
if they were to advise me against my inclinations. My term being now
expired, for I loyally pursued my studies to the bitter end, my mind
was made up, ambition or no ambition, for the Bar or the Stage.

Like most young men, I loved acting, and quite believed I would
succeed. My passion for the stage was encouraged by an old
schoolfellow of my father's when he was at Rugby, for whom I had, as a
boy, a great admiration. I forget whether in after-life I retained it,
for we drifted apart, and our divergent ways continued their course
without our meeting again.

Any worse decision, so far as my friends were concerned, could not be
conceived. They both remonstrated solemnly, and were deeply touched
with what they saw was my impending ruin, especially the ruin of their
hopes. In vain, however, did they attempt to persuade me; my mind was
as fixed as the mind of two-and-twenty can be. Having warned me in
terms of severity, they now addressed me in the language of affection,
and asked how I could be so headstrong and foolish as to attempt the
Bar, at which it was clear that I could only succeed after working
about twenty years as a special pleader.

They next set before me, as a terrible warning, my uncle, another
brother of my father's, who had gone to the Bar, and I will not say
never had any practice, for I believe he practised a good deal on
the Norfolk Broads, and once had a brief at sessions concerning
the irremovability of a pauper, which he conducted much to the
satisfaction of the pauper, although I believe the solicitor never
gave him another brief.

However, our family trio could not go on for ever quarrelling, and
at last they made a compromise with me, much to my satisfaction. My
father undertook to allow me a hundred a year for five years, and
after that time it was to cease automatically, whether I sank or swam,
with this solemn proviso, however, for the soothing of his conscience:
that if I sank _my fate was to be upon my own head_! I agreed also
to that part of the business, and accepting the terms, started for
London.

CHAPTER II.

IN MY UNCLE'S OFFICE.

I ought to mention, in speaking of my ancestors, that