ce between thought
and action, which his position made inevitable, was constantly blunting
and weakening all he did. His whole life, indeed, was one long waste of
power, simply for lack of an elementary frankness.

But if these became Robert's views as to Vernon, Vernon's feeling
towards Elsmere after six weeks' acquaintance was not less decided. He
was constitutionally timid, and he probably divined in his new helper a
man of no ordinary calibre, whose influence might very well turn out
some day to be of the 'incalculably diffusive' kind. He grew
uncomfortable, begged Elsmere to beware of any 'direct religious
teaching,' talked in warm praise of a 'policy of omissions,' and in
equally warm denunciation of 'anything like a policy of attack.' In
short, it became plain that two men so much alike, and yet so different,
could not long co-operate.

However, just as the fact was being brought home to Elsmere, a friendly
chance intervened.

Hugh Flaxman, the Leyburns' new acquaintance and Lady Helen's brother,
had been drawn to Elsmere at first sight; and a meeting or two, now at
Lady Charlotte's, now at the Leyburns', had led both men far on the way
to a friendship. Of Hugh Flaxman himself more hereafter. At present all
that need be recorded is that it was at Mr. Flaxman's house, overlooking
St. James's Park, Robert first met a man who was to give him the opening
for which he was looking.

Mr. Flaxman was fond of breakfast parties _a la_ Rogers, and on the
first occasion when Robert could be induced to attend one of these
functions, he saw opposite to him what he supposed to be a lad of
twenty, a young slip of a fellow, whose sallies of fun and invincible
good humour attracted him greatly.

Sparkling brown eyes, full lips rich in humour and pugnacity, 'lockes
crull as they were layde in presse,' the same look of 'wonderly'
activity too, in spite of his short stature and dainty make, as Chaucer
lends his squire--the type was so fresh and pleasing that Robert was
more and more held by it, especially when he discovered to his
bewilderment that the supposed stripling must be from his talk a man
quite as old as himself, an official besides, filling what was clearly
some important place in the world. He took his full share in the
politics and literature started at the table, and presently, when
conversation fell on the proposed municipality for London, said things
to which the whole party listened. Robert's curiosity was arou