er-mill in Hertfordshire.

His speculation succeeded, and as years went on he became a thriving
manufacturer. His brother Alfred, in the meantime, had drifted from work
at a London bookseller's into the modern Grub Street, his adventures in
which region will concern us hereafter.

Edmund carried on the Wattleborough business, but with small success.
Between him and his eldest brother existed a good deal of affection,
and in the end John offered him a share in his flourishing paper works;
whereupon Edmund married, deeming himself well established for life. But
John's temper was a difficult one; Edmund and he quarrelled, parted; and
when the younger died, aged about forty, he left but moderate provision
for his widow and two children.

Only when he had reached middle age did John marry; the experiment
could not be called successful, and Mrs Yule died three years later,
childless.

At fifty-four John Yule retired from active business; he came back to
the scenes of his early life, and began to take an important part in the
municipal affairs of Wattleborough. He was then a remarkably robust man,
fond of out-of-door exercise; he made it one of his chief efforts to
encourage the local Volunteer movement, the cricket and football clubs,
public sports of every kind, showing no sympathy whatever with those
persons who wished to establish free libraries, lectures, and the like.
At his own expense he built for the Volunteers a handsome drill-shed;
he founded a public gymnasium; and finally he allowed it to be rumoured
that he was going to present the town with a park. But by presuming too
far upon the bodily vigour which prompted these activities, he passed of
a sudden into the state of a confirmed invalid. On an autumn expedition
in the Hebrides he slept one night under the open sky, with the result
that he had an all but fatal attack of rheumatic fever. After that,
though the direction of his interests was unchanged, he could no longer
set the example to Wattleborough youth of muscular manliness. The
infliction did not improve his temper; for the next year or two he was
constantly at warfare with one or other of his colleagues and friends,
ill brooking that the familiar control of various local interests should
fall out of his hands. But before long he appeared to resign himself
to his fate, and at present Wattleborough saw little of him. It seemed
likely that he might still found the park which was to bear his name;
but perh