mingling with his amusement.

"Yes, sir. Learn a figure a day. It's all marked off into figures, you
know, sir."

"Well, of all queer chaps, you're the queerest!"

And Mr. Ryan went off into another laugh as Tode sped away to a new
corner. By the time he was ready for a second cup of coffee, Mr. Ryan
was also ready with more questions.

"Well, sir, what's to-day's figure?"

"For the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the
Lord, as the waters cover the sea," repeated Tode, promptly and glibly.

"Indeed! and what do you make out of that?"

"It makes itself; and that's something that's going to be one of these
days."

"Oh, and what does the 'glory of the Lord' mean, Tode?"

"_I_ don't know; expect _he_ does, though," answered Tode, simply and
significantly.

Mr. Ryan didn't seem inclined to continue that line of questioning.

"Well," he said, presently, "let's turn to an easier chapter. What's
to-morrow's figure?"

"Don't know. I might look though, if you wanted to hear." And Tode drew
his precious three leaves from his vest pocket.

"Oh, you carry Habakkuk about with you, do you? Well, let's have the
figure by all means, only pass me that bottle of wine first."

But Tode's face paled and his limbs actually shook.

"I can't do it," he said at last.

"You can't! Why, what's up?"

"Just look for yourself, sir. It's the figure 15." And he thrust the bit
of leaf before the gay young lawyer, and pointed with his finger to the
spot.

Of all words that could have come before his eyes just then, it seemed
strange indeed that these should be the ones:

"Woe unto him that giveth his neighbor drink!"

"Pshaw!" said Mr. Ryan at last, with a little nervous laugh. "Don't be a
goose, Tode. Take your paper away and pass me the wine."

"I can't, sir," answered Tode, earnestly. "I promised him to-day, I did,
that I was going to do it all just as fast as I found it out."

"Promised who? What are you talking about?"

"Promised the Lord Jesus Christ, sir. I told him this very day."

"Fiddlesticks. You don't understand. This refers to drunkards."

"It don't say so," answered Tode, simply.

"Yes, it does. Don't it say, 'and makes him drunk?'"

"It says and makes him drunk _also_," Tode said, with a sharp, searching
look.

Mr. Ryan laughed that short nervous laugh again.

"You ought to study law, Tode," was all _he_ said. Then after a moment.
"I advise you to attend to business, and let Ha