wealth would be put to much
better use in his hands than in those of the ordinary man who weds
money. Lady Ogram's deliberate choice of this landless peer assuredly
did her credit. She wanted the peerage for her niece; but it would not
have been difficult to gratify her ambition in a more brilliant way,
had she cared less for the girl's welfare. Society being what it is,
they did not see how their energetic old friend could have acted more
prudently and kindly.

At dinner there was much pleasant talk. The baronet's vein of humourous
criticism flowed freely. Walking through London streets this morning,
his eye had caught sight of a couple of posters which held him in
meditation.

"One was a huge picture of an ox, and beneath it one read in great
letters that sixty thousand bullocks are annually slaughtered for the
manufacture of Nokes's beef-tea. The other advertised Stokes's pills,
and informed the world, in still bigger lettering, that, every minute
of the day, seven of these pills 'reached their destination.'
Delightful phrase! 'Reached their destination.' And this, you see, is
how we adorn the walls of our cities. It is not only permitted, but
favoured. I am quite sure that a plebiscite, if some more civilised
alternative were offered, would pronounce in favor of the bullocks and
the pills, as much more interesting. Yet to my mind, spoilt by
pottering among old pictures, that bit of wall was so monstrous in its
hideousness that I stood moon-stricken, and even yet I haven't got over
it. I shall dream to-night of myriads of bullocks massacred for
beef-tea, and of an endless procession of pills--reaching their
destination. I ask myself, in my foolish theoretic way, what earthly
right we have to lay claim to civilisation. How much better it would be
always to speak of ourselves as barbarians. We should then, perhaps,
make some endeavour to improve. The barbarian who imagines himself on
the pinnacle of refinement is in a parlous state--far more likely to
retrograde than to advance."

"There should be a league of landowners," said Miss Tomalin, "pledged
to forbid any such horror on their own property."

"I don't know that I have much faith in leagues," returned Sir William.
"I am a lost individualist. Let everyone try to civilise himself;
depend upon it, it's the best work he can do for the world at large."

"And yet," put in Lord Dymchurch, "the world can't do without apostles.
Do you think mere example has ever av