. I think
it very likely this will be the end of Mr Fadge's tenure of office.
Rackett, the proprietor, only wants a plausible excuse for making a
change. The paper has been going downhill for the last year; I know of
two publishing houses who have withdrawn their advertising from it, and
who never send their books for review. Everyone foresaw that kind of
thing from the day Mr Fadge became editor. The tone of his paragraphs
has been detestable. Two reviews of the same novel, eh? And
diametrically opposed? Ha! Ha!'

Gradually he had passed from quiet appreciation of the joke to
undisguised mirth and pleasure. His utterance of the name 'Mr Fadge'
sufficiently intimated that he had some cause of personal discontent
with the editor of The Study.

'The author,' remarked Milvain, 'ought to make a good thing out of
this.'

'Will, no doubt. Ought to write at once to the papers, calling attention
to this sample of critical impartiality. Ha! ha!'

He rose and went to the window, where for several minutes he stood
gazing at vacancy, the same grim smile still on his face. Jasper in the
meantime amused the ladies (his sisters had heard him on the subject
already) with a description of the two antagonistic notices. But he
did not trust himself to express so freely as he had done at home his
opinion of reviewing in general; it was more than probable that both
Yule and his daughter did a good deal of such work.

'Suppose we go into the garden,' suggested Miss Harrow, presently. 'It
seems a shame to sit indoors on such a lovely afternoon.'

Hitherto there had been no mention of the master of the house. But Mr
Yule now remarked to Jasper:

'My brother would be glad if you would come and have a word with him. He
isn't quite well enough to leave his room to-day.'

So, as the ladies went gardenwards, Jasper followed the man of letters
upstairs to a room on the first floor. Here, in a deep cane chair, which
was placed by the open window, sat John Yule. He was completely dressed,
save that instead of coat he wore a dressing-gown. The facial
likeness between him and his brother was very strong, but John's
would universally have been judged the finer countenance; illness
notwithstanding, he had a complexion which contrasted in its pure colour
with Alfred's parchmenty skin, and there was more finish about his
features. His abundant hair was reddish, his long moustache and trimmed
beard a lighter shade of the same hue.

'So you too ar