lth and idleness, pleasure and
fashion, but when, at the doors of Parliament, men who have won noble
names, and whose word had weight on the destinies of glorious England,
brushed heedlessly by to their grand arena; or when, amidst the holiday
crowd of ignoble pomp, I had heard the murmur of fame buzz and gather
round some lordly laborer in art or letters: that contrast between glory
so near and yet so far, and one's own obscurity, of course I had felt
it,--who has not? Alas! many a youth not fated to be a Themistocles will
yet feel that the trophies of a Miltiades will not suffer him to sleep!
So I went up to Vivian and laid my hand on his shoulder.

"Ah!" said he, more gently than usual, "I am glad to see you, and to
apologize,--I offended you the other day. But you would not get very
gracious answers from souls in purgatory if you talked to them of the
happiness of heaven. Never speak to me about homes and fathers! Enough!
I see you forgive me. Why are you not going to the opera? You can."

"And you too, if you so please. A ticket is shamefully dear, to be sure;
still, if you are fond of music, it is a luxury you can afford."

"Oh! you flatter me if you fancy the prudence of saving withholds me. I
did go the other night, but I shall not go again. Music!--when you go to
the opera, is it for the music?"

"Only partially, I own; the lights, the scene, the pageant, attract me
quite as much. But I do not think the opera a very profitable pleasure
for either of us. For rich idle people, I dare say, it may be as
innocent an amusement as any other, but I find it a sad enervator."

"And I just the reverse,--a horrible stimulant! Caxton, do you know
that, ungracious as it will sound to you, I am growing impatient of
this `honorable independence'? What does it lead to? Board, clothes, and
lodging,--can it ever bring me anything more?"

"At first, Vivian, you limited your aspirations to kid gloves and a
cabriolet: it has brought the kid gloves already; by and by it will
bring the cabriolet!"

"Our wishes grow by what they feed on. You live in the great world,
you can have excitement if you please it; I want excitement, I want the
world, I want room for my mind, man! Do you understand me?"

"Perfectly, and sympathize with you, my poor Vivian; but it will all
come. Patience! as I preached to you while dawn rose so comfortless over
the streets of London. You are not losing time. Fill your mind; read,
study, fit yourself for