f Miss Random, a strange young lady.

Had there been a Black Hole within the area of those law regions to
consign Ripton to there and then, or an Iron Rod handy to mortify his
sinful flesh, Mr. Thompson would have used them. As it was, he contented
himself by looking Black Holes and Iron Rods at the detected youth, who
sat on his perch insensible to what might happen next, collapsed.

Mr. Thompson cast the wicked creature down with a "Pah!" He, however,
took her up again, and strode away with her. Sir Austin gave Ripton a
forefinger, and kindly touched his head, saying, "Good-bye, boy! At some
future date Richard will be happy to see you at Raynham."

Undoubtedly this was a great triumph to the System!

CHAPTER XVII

The conversation between solicitor and client was resumed.

"Is it possible," quoth Mr. Thompson, the moment he had ushered his
client into his private room, "that you will consent, Sir Austin, to see
him and receive him again?"

"Certainly," the baronet replied. "Why not? This by no means astonishes
me. When there is no longer danger to my son he will be welcome as he
was before. He is a schoolboy. I knew it. I expected it. The results of
your principle, Thompson!"

"One of the very worst books of that abominable class!" exclaimed the
old lawyer, opening at the coloured frontispiece, from which brazen Miss
Random smiled bewitchingly out, as if she had no doubt of captivating
Time and all his veterans on a fair field. "Pah!" he shut her to with
the energy he would have given to the office of publicly slapping
her face; "from this day I diet him on bread and water--rescind his
pocket-money!--How he could have got hold of such a book! How he--!
And what ideas! Concealing them from me as he has done so cunningly!
He trifles with vice! His mind is in a putrid state! I might have
believed--I did believe--I might have gone on believing--my son Ripton
to be a moral young man!" The old lawyer interjected on the delusion of
fathers, and sat down in a lamentable abstraction.

"The lad has come out!" said Sir Austin. "His adoption of the legal form
is amusing. He trifles with vice, true: people newly initiated are as
hardy as its intimates, and a young sinner's amusements will resemble
those of a confirmed debauchee. The satiated, and the insatiate,
appetite alike appeal to extremes. You are astonished at this revelation
of your son's condition. I expected it; though assuredly, believe me,
not this sud