a quarter of a mile off, and setting Mrs Watson
down in the kitchen to an interesting article in the newspaper, he met
the cart at the gate, and assisted the driver to carry the hampers of
strong drinkables, with all possible haste, into his bed-room. Then,
quickly dismissing the man, he locked himself into his chamber, and
carefully deposited the hampers in a large cupboard near the head of his
bed. When he had completed all this he began to breathe freely again.
And thus he commenced the downward course of unfaltering, deliberate
deceit. Hitherto he had deceived himself chiefly, keeping the truth in
the background of his consciousness; now he was carefully planning to
deceive others. And oh, what a mean, paltry deceit it was--so low does
rational, immortal man stoop when under the iron grasp of a master sin!
And so, with carefully-locked door, and stealthy step, and cautious
handling of glass and bottle, lest any one should hear, Frank Oldfield
drank daily of the poison that was ruining his body and paralysing his
moral nature; for whatever it might or might not be to others, it was
assuredly poison to him. Jacob Poole mused and wondered, and could not
make him out--sometimes he saw him deeply depressed, at another time in
a state of overboiling spirits and extravagant gaiety. Poor Jacob's
heart misgave him as to the cause, and yet he fully believed that there
were no intoxicating liquors in the house. But things could not remain
in this position; there is no sin which runs with such accumulating
speed as the drunkard's. Frank would now be seldom riding to "The
Rocks," and often to the town; he would stay away from home night after
night, and no one knew what had become of him. Poor Jacob began to get
very weary, and to dread more and more that he should find his young
master becoming a confirmed slave to the drink. Frank's fine temper,
too, was not what it once was, and Jacob had to wince under many a hasty
word.

At last his master began to find that his expenses were getting greatly
in advance of his income. He called one day at the bank, drew a cheque,
and presented it over the counter. The cashier took it to the manager's
desk: there was a brief consultation, and then a request that Mr
Oldfield would step into the manager's private room.

"I am exceedingly sorry, Mr Oldfield," said the manager, "that we feel
ourselves in a difficulty as to the cheque you have just drawn; the fact
is that you have alr