to make other people
happy. The latter answers the best."

"I can't add to her happiness by hanging about London."

"That's a quibble. It isn't her happiness we are talking about,--nor
yet your hanging about London. Gird yourself up and go on with what
you've got to do. Put your work before your feelings. What does a
poor man do, who goes out hedging and ditching with a dead child
lying in his house? If you get a blow in the face, return it if it
ought to be returned, but never complain of the pain. If you must
have your vitals eaten into,--have them eaten into like a man. But,
mind you,--these ain't your vitals."

"It goes pretty near."

"These ain't your vitals. A man gets cured of it,--almost always. I
believe always; though some men get hit so hard they can never bring
themselves to try it again. But tell me this. Has old Wharton given
his consent?"

"No. He has refused," said Arthur with strong emphasis.

"How is it to be, then?"

"He has dealt very fairly by me. He has done all he could to get rid
of the man,--both with him and with her. He has told Emily that he
will have nothing to do with the man. And she will do nothing without
his sanction."

"Then it will remain just as it is."

"No, John; it will not. He has gone on to say that though he has
refused,--and has refused roughly enough,--he must give way if he
sees that she has really set her heart upon him. And she has."

"Has she told you so?"

"No;--but he has told me. I shall have it out with her to-morrow, if
I can. And then I shall be off."

"You'll be here for shooting on the 1st?"

"No. I dare say you're right in what you say about sticking to my
work. It does seem unmanly to run away because of a girl."

"Because of anything! Stop and face it, whatever it is."

"Just so;--but I can't stop and face her. It would do no good. For
all our sakes I should be better away. I can get shooting with
Musgrave and Carnegie in Perthshire. I dare say I shall go there, and
take a share with them."

"That's better than going into all the quarters of the globe."

"I didn't mean that I was to surrender and start at once. You take a
fellow up so short. I shall do very well, I've no doubt, and shall
be hunting here as jolly as ever at Christmas. But a fellow must say
it all to somebody." The elder brother put his hand out and laid it
affectionately upon the younger one's arm. "I'm not going to whimper
about the world like a whipped dog. The worst of