t? It might have been so--guesses less
likely have been made at the truth, and have hit the mark. It is, at any
rate, certain that he left England, never to return again. Another man
lost, Report said. Add to that, a man in ten thousand--and, for once,
Report might claim to be right.

Mr. Delamayn comes next.

The rising solicitor was struck off the roll, at his own request--and
entered himself as a student at one of the Inns of Court. For three
years nothing was known of him but that he was reading hard and keeping
his terms. He was called to the Bar. His late partners in the firm knew
they could trust him, and put business into his hands. In two years he
made himself a position in Court. At the end of the two years he made
himself a position out of Court. He appeared as "Junior" in "a famous
case," in which the honor of a great family, and the title to a great
estate were concerned. His "Senior" fell ill on the eve of the trial.
He conducted the case for the defendant and won it. The defendant
said, "What can I do for you?" Mr. Delamayn answered, "Put me into
Parliament." Being a landed gentleman, the defendant had only to issue
the necessary orders--and behold, Mr. Delamayn was in Parliament!

In the House of Commons the new member and Mr. Vanborough met again.

They sat on the same bench, and sided with the same party. Mr. Delamayn
noticed that Mr. Vanborough was looking old and worn and gray. He put a
few questions to a well-informed person. The well-informed person shook
his head. Mr. Vanborough was rich; Mr. Vanborough was well-connected
(through his wife); Mr. Van borough was a sound man in every sense of
the word; _but_--nobody liked him. He had done very well the first year,
and there it had ended. He was undeniably clever, but he produced a
disagreeable impression in the House. He gave splendid entertainments,
but he wasn't popular in society. His party respected him, but when they
had any thing to give they passed him over. He had a temper of his
own, if the truth must be told; and with nothing against him--on the
contrary, with every thing in his favor--he didn't make friends. A
soured man. At home and abroad, a soured man.

VII.

Five years more passed, dating from the day when the deserted wife was
laid in her grave. It was now the year eighteen hundred and sixty six.

On a certain day in that year two special items of news appeared in
the papers--the news of an elevation to the peerage, and the ne