lings
if I intrust the matter to a stranger. Would there be any objection to
my inserting Mr. Oldfield's name, sir?"

"Only this: he would think he knew better than I do; and then I, who
know better than he does, and am very vain and arrogant, should throw
up the case in a passion, and go back to my MS.; and humdrum Oldfield
would go to Equity instead of law; and all the costs would fall on your
estate instead of on your enemy; and you would be here eighteen months
instead of eight or ten days. No, Sir Charles, you can't mix champagne
and ditch-water; you can't make Invention row in a boat with Antique
Twaddle, and you mustn't ask me to fight your battle with a blunt
knife, when I have got a sharp knife that fits my hand."

Mr. Rolfe said this with more irritation than was justified, and
revealed one of the great defects in his character.

Sir Charles saw his foible, smiled, and said, "I withdraw a proposal
which I see annoys you." He then signed the paper.

Mr. Rolfe broke out all smiles directly, and said, "Now you are cut in
two. One you is here; but Sharpe is another you. Thus, one you works
out of the asylum, and one in, and that makes all the difference.
Compare notes with those who have tried the other way. Yet, simple and
obvious as this is, would you believe it, I alone have discovered this
method; I alone practice it."

He sent his secretary off to London at once, and returned to Sir
Charles. "The authority will be with Sharpe at 2:30. He will be at
Whitehall 3:15, and examine the order. He will take the writ out at
once, and if Richard Bassett is the man, he will serve it on him
to-morrow in good time, and send one of your grooms over here on
horseback with the news. We serve the writ personally, because we have
shufflers to deal with, and I will not give them a chance. Now I must
go and write a lie or two for the public; and then inspect the asylum
with Suaby. Before post-time I will write to a friend of mine who is a
Commissioner of Lunacy, one of the strong-minded ones. We may as well
have two strings to our bow."

Sir Charles thanked him gracefully, and said, "It is a rare thing, in
this selfish world, to see one man interest himself in the wrongs of
another, as you are good enough to do in mine."

"Oh," said Rolfe, "all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. My
business is Lying; and I drudge at it. So to escape now and then to the
play-ground of Truth and Justice is a great amusement and recrea