been, of course, the
partner by whose judgment any question of importance must ultimately be
decided; and, though Mr. Barry had been sent to Nice, the Scarborough
property was especially in Mr. Grey's branch. He had been loud in
declaring the iniquity of his client, but had altogether made up his
mind that the iniquity had been practised; and all the clerks in the
office had gone with him, trusting to his great character for sober
sagacity. And Mr. Grey was not a man who would easily be put out of his
high position.

The respect generally felt for him was too high; and he carried himself
before his partner and clerks too powerfully to lose at once his
prestige. But Mr. Barry, when he heard the new story, looked at his own
favorite clerk and almost winked an eye; and when he came to discuss the
matter with Mr. Grey, he declined even to pretend to be led at once by
Mr. Grey's opinion. "A gentleman who has been so very clever on one
occasion may be very clever on another." That had been his argument. Mr.
Grey's reply had simply been to the effect that you cannot twice catch
an old bird with chaff. Mr. Barry seemed, however, to think, in
discussing the matter with the favorite clerk, that the older the bird
became, the more often he could be caught with chaff.

Mr. Grey in these days was very unhappy,--not made so simply by the
iniquity of his client, but by the insight which he got into his
partner's aptitude for business. He began to have his doubts about Mr.
Barry. Mr. Barry was tending toward sharp practice. Mr. Barry was
beginning to love his clients,--not with a proper attorney's affection,
as his children, but as sheep to be shorn. With Mr. Grey the bills had
gone out and had been paid, no doubt, and the money had in some shape
found its way into Mr. Grey's pockets. But he had never looked at the
two things together. Mr. Barry seemed to be thinking of the wool as
every client came or was dismissed. Mr. Grey, as he thought of these
things, began to fancy that his own style of business was becoming
antiquated. He had said good words of Mr. Barry to his daughter, but
just at this period his faith both in himself and in his partner began
to fail. His partner was becoming too strong for him, and he felt that
he was failing. Things were changed; and he did not love his business as
he used to do. He had fancies, and he knew that he had fancies, and that
fancies were not good for an attorney. When he saw what was in Mr.
Ba