the daily
details of life.

CHAPTER XI.

If to do were as easy as to know what were good to do, Chapels had
been Churches, and poor men's cottages, princes' palaces.
MERCHANT OF VENICE.

"Dick," said Dr. Spencer, as the friends sat together in the evening,
after Mary's swoon, "you seem to have found an expedient for making
havoc among your daughters."

"It does not hurt them," said Dr. May carelessly.

"Pretty well, after the specimen of to-day."

"That was chance."

"If you like it, I have no more to say; but I should like to make you
sit for two hours in such a temperature. If they were mine--"

"Very fine talking, but I would not take the responsibility of hindering
the only pains that have ever been taken with that unlucky place. You
don't know that girl Ethel. She began at fifteen, entirely of her own
accord, and has never faltered. If any of the children there are saved
from perdition, it is owing to her, and I am not going to be the man to
stop her. They are strong, healthy girls, and I cannot see that it does
them any harm--rather good."

"Have you any special predilection for a room eight feet by nine?"

"Can't be helped. What would you have said if you had seen the last?"

"What is this about one hundred and fifty pounds in hand?"

"The ladies here chose to have a fancy fair, the only result of which,
hitherto, has been the taking away my Flora. There is the money, but the
land can't be had."

"Why not?"

"Tied up between the Drydale Estate and ---- College, and in the hands
of the quarry master, Nicolson. There was an application made to the
College, but they did not begin at the right end."

"Upon my word, Dick, you take it easy!" cried his friend, rather
indignantly.

"I own I have not stirred in the matter," said Dr. May. "I knew nothing
would come to good under the pack of silly women that our schools
are ridden with--" and, as he heard a sound a little like "pish!" he
continued, "and that old Ramsden, it is absolutely useless to work with
such a head--or no head. There's nothing for it but to wait for better
times, instead of setting up independent, insubordinate action."

"You are the man to leave venerable abuses undisturbed!"

"The cure is worse than the disease!"

"There spoke the Corporation!"

"Ah! it was not the way you set to work in Poonshedagore."

"Why, really, when the venerable abuses consisted of Hindoos