of
patrons and his resolution to deserve it by diligence in the
fulfillment of his duties, whether patrons were likely to hear of it or
not; doing nothing solely with an eye to promotion except, perhaps, the
writing of two ecclesiastical articles, which having no signature, were
attributed to some one else, except by the patrons who had a special
copy sent them, and these certainly knew the author but did not read
the articles. The rector, however, chewed no poisonous cud of suspicion
on this point: he made marginal notes on his own copies to render them
a more interesting loan, and was gratified that the Archdeacon and
other authorities had nothing to say against the general tenor of his
argument. Peaceful authorship!--living in the air of the fields and
downs, and not in the thrice-breathed breath of criticism--bringing no
Dantesque leanness; rather, assisting nutrition by complacency, and
perhaps giving a more suffusive sense of achievement than the
production of a whole _Divina Commedia_. Then there was the father's
recovered delight in his favorite son, which was a happiness
outweighing the loss of eighteen hundred a year. Of whatever nature
might be the hidden change wrought in Rex by the disappointment of his
first love, it was apparently quite secondary to that evidence of more
serious ambition which dated from the family misfortune; indeed, Mr.
Gascoigne was inclined to regard the little affair which had caused him
so much anxiety the year before as an evaporation of superfluous
moisture, a kind of finish to the baking process which the human dough
demands. Rex had lately come down for a summer visit to the rectory,
bringing Anna home, and while he showed nearly the old liveliness with
his brothers and sisters, he continued in his holiday the habits of the
eager student, rising early in the morning and shutting himself up
early in the evenings to carry on a fixed course of study.

"You don't repent the choice of the law as a profession, Rex?" said his
father.

"There is no profession I would choose before it," said Rex. "I should
like to end my life as a first-rate judge, and help to draw up a code.
I reverse the famous dictum. I should say, 'Give me something to do
with making the laws, and let who will make the songs.'"

"You will have to stow in an immense amount of rubbish, I
suppose--that's the worst of it," said the rector.

"I don't see that law-rubbish is worse than any other sort. It is not
so bad