Staveley prepared themselves for the labours of the coming day by a
walk into the country; for even at Birmingham, by perseverance, a
walk into the country may be attained,--and very pretty country it
is when reached. These congress meetings did not begin before eleven,
so that for those who were active time for matutinal exercise was
allowed.

Augustus Staveley was the only son of the judge who on that day was
to defend the laws of England from such attacks as might be made on
them by a very fat advocate from Florence. Of Judge Staveley himself
much need not be said now, except that he lived at Noningsby near
Alston, distant from The Cleeve about nine miles, and that at his
house Sophia Furnival had been invited to pass the coming Christmas.
His son was a handsome clever fellow, who had nearly succeeded in
getting the Newdegate, and was now a member of the Middle Temple. He
was destined to follow the steps of his father, and become a light
at the Common Law bar; but hitherto he had not made much essential
progress. The world had been too pleasant to him to allow of his
giving many of his hours to work. His father was one of the best men
in the world, revered on the bench, and loved by all men; but he
had not sufficient parental sternness to admit of his driving his
son well into harness. He himself had begun the world with little
or nothing, and had therefore succeeded; but his son was already
possessed of almost everything that he could want, and therefore his
success seemed doubtful. His chambers were luxuriously furnished, he
had his horse in Piccadilly, his father's house at Noningsby was
always open to him, and the society of London spread out for him all
its allurements. Under such circumstances how could it be expected
that he should work? Nevertheless he did talk of working, and had
some idea in his head of the manner in which he would do so. To a
certain extent he had worked, and he could talk fluently of the
little that he knew. The idea of a _far niente_ life would have been
intolerable to him; but there were many among his friends who began
to think that such a life would nevertheless be his ultimate destiny.
Nor did it much matter, they said, for the judge was known to have
made money.

But his friend Felix Graham was rowing in a very different boat; and
of him also many prophesied that he would hardly be able to push his
craft up against the strength of the stream. Not that he was an idle
man, but that