ing for it but to go on with the serio-comedy as best he
could, and to try and get Mr. Miller off the premises as speedily as
possible.

He made an effort to decline the proffered employment.

"It is most kind, most generous of you to have thought of me, but I must
tell you that there are many better men, even amongst the juniors, who
would do your case more justice than I should."

"Oh! I believe you have plenty of talent, Mr. Pryme. I've been making
inquiries about you. You only want an opportunity, and I like giving a
young fellow a chance. One must hold out a helping hand to the young ones
now and then."

"Of course, sir, I would do my very best for you, but I really think you
are risking your own case by giving it to me."

"Nonsense--take it and do what you can for me; if you fail, I shall not
blame you;" and here suddenly Mr. Miller's eyes rested upon the sunshade
and the gloves upon the table half-a-yard behind his arm. Now, had it
been Miss Miller's mother who, in the place of her father, had been
seated in Herbert's wooden arm-chair, the secret of her proximity would
have been revealed the very instant the maternal eyes had been set upon
that sunshade and those gloves. Mrs. Miller could have sworn to that
little white lace, ivory-handled toy, with its coquettish pink ribbon
bows, had she seen it amongst a hundred others, nor would it have been
easy to have deceived the mother's eyes in the matter of the gray _peau
de suede_ gloves and the dainty little veil, such as her daughter was in
the habit of wearing. But a father's perceptions in these matters are not
accurate. Mr. Miller had not the remotest idea what his child's sunshade
was like, nor, indeed, whether she had any sunshade at all. Nevertheless,
as his eyes alighted upon these indications of a feminine presence which
lay upon the young barrister's table, they remained fixed there with
distinct disapproval. These obnoxious articles of female attire of course
conveyed clearly to the elder man's perceptions, in a broad and general
sense, the fatal word "woman," and woman in this case meant "vice."

Mr. Miller strove to re-direct his attention to his case and the papers
in his hand. Herbert made a faint and ineffectual attempt to remove the
offending objects from the table. Mr. Miller only looked back at them
with an ever-increasing gloom upon his face, and Herbert's hand, morally
paralyzed by the glance, sank powerlessly down by his side. He imagined,