set all ardent souls
afire.

"I must think this over, my boy," the uncle replied presently. "I must
sleep on it. Have you told your mother?"

"No; I counted upon you to persuade her."

"Um. Now tell me about Lord's! Ah! I'm sorry I missed that match."

Next day, his uncle said nothing of what lay next to John's heart, but
the pair rode together over the estate. During that ride it became
plain to the young man that his uncle had no intention of settling
down. Once or twice, in the driest, most matter-of-fact tone, the
elder spoke as if his heir were likely to inherit soon. Finally, John
blurted out a protest--

"But, uncle, you are a strong man. Why do you talk as if--as if----"
the boy couldn't finish the phrase.

"Tut, tut," said the uncle. "I know what I know;" and he fell into
silence.

Not till the evening, after Mrs. Verney had gone to bed, did the man of
many wanderings speak freely.

"John," said he, quietly, "I have a story to tell you. Years ago, your
father and I fell in love with the same girl. She married the better
man." He paused to fill a pipe: John saw that his uncle's fingers
trembled slightly; but his voice was cool, measured, almost monotonous.
"I made my first expedition to Patagonia. When I came back you were
just born; and I asked that I might be your godfather. I went to
Africa after the christening. And six years later your father died. I
think he had the purest and most unselfish love of the poor and
helpless that I have ever known. He wore away his life in the service
of the outcast and forlorn. And before he died, he expressed a wish
that you should work as he did, for others, but not in precisely the
same way. He knew, none better, the limitations imposed upon a parson.
He prayed that you might labour in a field larger than one parish. And
I promised him that I would do what I could when the time came. It has
come--to-night. In my opinion, in Warde's opinion, in your dear
mother's opinion, Parliament is the place for you. You will be
sufficiently well off. Take all Oxford can give you, and then try for
the House of Commons. Charles Desmond will make you one of his Private
Secretaries. I have spoken to him. You have a great career before
you."

"But if war breaks out, uncle----"

"War _will_ break out. Don't misunderstand me! If you are wanted out
there, and the thing is going to be very serious, if you are wanted,
you must go; but decidedly you ar