to character in the
case of a handsome generous young fellow, who will have property enough
to support numerous peccadilloes--who, if he should unfortunately
break a man's legs in his rash driving, will be able to pension him
handsomely; or if he should happen to spoil a woman's existence for her,
will make it up to her with expensive bon-bons, packed up and directed
by his own hand. It would be ridiculous to be prying and analytic
in such cases, as if one were inquiring into the character of a
confidential clerk. We use round, general, gentlemanly epithets about
a young man of birth and fortune; and ladies, with that fine intuition
which is the distinguishing attribute of their sex, see at once that
he is "nice." The chances are that he will go through life without
scandalizing any one; a seaworthy vessel that no one would refuse to
insure. Ships, certainly, are liable to casualties, which sometimes make
terribly evident some flaw in their construction that would never have
been discoverable in smooth water; and many a "good fellow," through a
disastrous combination of circumstances, has undergone a like betrayal.

But we have no fair ground for entertaining unfavourable auguries
concerning Arthur Donnithorne, who this morning proves himself capable
of a prudent resolution founded on conscience. One thing is clear:
Nature has taken care that he shall never go far astray with perfect
comfort and satisfaction to himself; he will never get beyond that
border-land of sin, where he will be perpetually harassed by assaults
from the other side of the boundary. He will never be a courtier of
Vice, and wear her orders in his button-hole.

It was about ten o'clock, and the sun was shining brilliantly;
everything was looking lovelier for the yesterday's rain. It is a
pleasant thing on such a morning to walk along the well-rolled gravel on
one's way to the stables, meditating an excursion. But the scent of
the stables, which, in a natural state of things, ought to be among
the soothing influences of a man's life, always brought with it some
irritation to Arthur. There was no having his own way in the stables;
everything was managed in the stingiest fashion. His grandfather
persisted in retaining as head groom an old dolt whom no sort of
lever could move out of his old habits, and who was allowed to hire a
succession of raw Loamshire lads as his subordinates, one of whom
had lately tested a new pair of shears by clipping an oblong