falsity, and its malice, and its bitter,
bitter disappointments.'

Crewe's native wit and rich store of experience availed him nothing when
Mrs. Damerel discoursed thus. The silvery accents flattered his ear,
and crept into the soft places of his nature. He felt as when a clever
actress in a pathetic part wrought upon him in the after-dinner mood.

'You must bear up against it, Mrs. Damerel. And I don't think a retired
life would suit you at all. You are made for Society.'

'Don't seek for compliments. I am speaking quite sincerely. Ah, those
were happy days that I spent at Whitsand! Tell me what you have been
doing. Is there any hope of the pier yet?'

'Why, it's as good as built!' cried the other. 'Didn't you see the
advertisements, when we floated the company a month ago? I suppose you
don't read that kind of thing. We shall begin at the works in early
spring.--Look here!'

He unrolled a large design, a coloured picture of Whitsand pier as it
already existed in his imagination. Not content with having the
mere structure exhibited, Crewe had persuaded the draughtsman to add
embellishments of a kind which, in days to come, would be his own
peculiar care; from end to end, the pier glowed with the placards of
advertisers. Below, on the sands, appeared bathing-machines, and
these also were covered with manifold advertisements. Nay, the very
pleasure-boats on the sunny waves declared the glory of somebody's soap,
of somebody's purgatives.

'I'll make that place one of the biggest advertising stations in
England--see if I don't! You remember the caves? I'm going to have them
lighted with electricity, and painted all round with advertisements of
the most artistic kind.'

'What a brilliant idea!'

'There's something else you might like to hear of. It struck me I would
write a Guide to Advertising, and here it is.' He handed a copy of the
book. 'It advertises _me_, and brings a little grist to the mill on
its own account. Three weeks since I got it out, and we've sold three
thousand of it. Costs nothing to print; the advertisements more than pay
for that. Price, one shilling.'

'But how you do work, Mr. Crewe! It's marvellous. And yet you look so
well,--you have really a seaside colour!'

'I never ailed much since I can remember. The harder I work, the better
I feel.'

'I, too, have always been rather proud of my constitution.' Her eyes
dropped. 'But then I have led a life of idleness. Couldn't you make me
usefu