he senior Wrangler, who
entering the theatre at the same moment as the queen, bowed graciously
on all sides in acknowledgment of the acclamations. As it is, Home, you
are a man who ought to do something in the world."

Julian could not help smiling at Mr Admer's usual style, and would have
found some relief in arguing with him, had not Hazlet entered, whose
very appearance put Mr Admer to a precipitate flight. There could not
have been any human being less likely to give Julian any effectual
consolation at such a moment, and he could not help sighing as Mr Admer
left him to his persecutor.

"Fugit improbus ac me sub cultro linquit," he said appealingly, secure
in Hazlet's ignorance of the Latin tongue; but Mr Admer only shook his
head significantly, and disappeared.

With his black shining hair brushed down in unusual lankiness over his
receding forehead, and with an expression of sleek resignation unusually
sanctimonious, Hazlet sat down, and gave a half groan.

"I am sorry," he said, "dear Julian--"

"Home, if you please, Hazlet," interrupted Julian.

Hazlet was a little taken aback, but he said--

"Well, dear Home--"

"Home _only_, if you please," said Julian still more abruptly.

"Ah! I see you are in a rebellious--excuse me, dear--I mean Home,--a
rebellious spirit. I feared it would be so when I saw that godless
young clergyman with you."

Julian relieved his disgust by an expression of impatience.

"I have no doubt, dear Ju--, I mean Home--I have no doubt," he
continued, with a gusto infinitely annoying, "that you needed this rod.
I am afraid that you are as yet unconverted; that you have as yet no
saving, no vital sense of Christianity. Some sin, perhaps, needs
correction; some--"

"Confound your intolerable impudence and cant!" said Julian, starting
from his seat, aroused by his hypocritical prate into unwonted
intolerance; and he suddenly observed, by the cowering attitude which
Hazlet assumed, that the worthy youth was afraid of receiving at his
head the water-bottle, on which Julian's hand was resting. Julian
thought it best to avoid the temptation, and hoping Hazlet would take
the hint, he said, "Forgive my rudeness, Hazlet, but I am very tired and
annoyed just now; in fact, I am hardly in a condition to talk with, as
you see, and you are really _quite_ incapable of saying anything to help
me."

But Hazlet had come prepared to say his say, and did not attempt to
move.

"Ah," he said,