reward of labour," said the Duke, "or rather, in the
shape it reaches you, it is your representation of that reward. You
may earn it yourself, or, as is, I am afraid, more likely to be the
case with you, you may possess it honestly as prepared for you by the
labour of others who have stored it up for you. But it is a commodity
of which you are bound to see that the source is not only clean but
noble. You would not let Lord Percival give you money."

"He wouldn't do that, sir, I am sure."

"Nor would you take it. There is nothing so comfortable as
money,--but nothing so defiling if it be come by unworthily; nothing
so comfortable, but nothing so noxious if the mind be allowed to
dwell upon it constantly. If a man have enough, let him spend
it freely. If he wants it, let him earn it honestly. Let him do
something for it, so that the man who pays it to him may get its
value. But to think that it may be got by gambling, to hope to live
after that fashion, to sit down with your fingers almost in your
neighbour's pockets, with your eye on his purse, trusting that you
may know better than he some studied calculations as to the pips
concealed in your hands, praying to the only god you worship that
some special card may be vouchsafed to you,--that I say is to have
left far, far behind you, all nobility, all gentleness, all manhood!
Write me down Lord Percival's address and I will send him the money."

Then the Duke wrote a cheque for the money claimed and sent it with
a note, as follows:--"The Duke of Omnium presents his compliments to
Lord Percival. The Duke has been informed by Lord Gerald Palliser
that Lord Percival has won at cards from him the sum of three
thousand four hundred pounds. The Duke now encloses a cheque for that
amount, and requests that the document which Lord Percival holds from
Lord Silverbridge as security for the amount, may be returned to
Lord Gerald." Let the noble gambler have his prey. He was little
solicitous about that. If he could only so operate on the mind of
this son,--so operate on the minds of both his sons, as to make them
see the foolishness of folly, the ugliness of what is mean, the
squalor and dirt of ignoble pursuits, then he could easily pardon
past faults. If it were half his wealth, what would it signify if he
could teach his children to accept those lessons without which no man
can live as a gentleman, let his rank be the highest known, let his
wealth be as the sands, his fashion