ern proviso that the
writer was never to see nor hear from me. He wanted no gratitude; he
disbelieved in all professions of it. His favours would cease if I
molested him. 'Molested' was the word; it was bread thrown to a dog."

VANCE.--"Tut! Only a rich man's eccentricity. A bachelor, I presume?"

LIONEL.--"My mother says he has been married, and is a widower."

VANCE.--"Any children?"

LIONEL.--"My mother says none living; but I know little or nothing about
his family."

Vance looked with keen scrutiny into the face of his boyfriend, and,
after a pause, said, drily,--"Plain as a pikestaff. Your relation is one
of those men who, having no children, suspect and dread the attention
of an heir presumptive; and what has made this sting, as you call it,
keener to you is--pardon me--is in some silly words of your mother, who,
in showing you the letters, has hinted to you that that heir you might
be, if you were sufficiently pliant and subservient. Am I not right?"

Lionel hung his head, without reply.

VANCE (cheeringly).--"So, so; no great harm as yet. Enough of the first
letter. What was the last?"

LIONEL.--"Still more offensive. He, this kinsman, this patron, desired
my mother to spare him those references to her son's ability and
promise, which, though natural to herself, had slight interest to
him,--him, the condescending benefactor! As to his opinion, what could
I care for the opinion of one I had never seen? All that could sensibly
affect my--oh, but I cannot go on with those cutting phrases, which
imply but this, 'All I can care for is the money of a man who insults me
while he gives it.'"

VANCE (emphatically).--"Without being a wizard, I should say your
relative was rather a disagreeable person,--not what is called urbane
and amiable,--in fact, a brute."

LIONEL.--"You will not blame me, then, when I tell you that I resolved
not to accept the offer to maintain me at college, with which the letter
closed. Luckily Dr. Wallis (the head master of my school), who had
always been very kind to me, had just undertaken to supervise a popular
translation of the classics. He recommended me, at my request, to the
publisher engaged in the undertaking, as not incapable of translating
some of the less difficult Latin authors,--subject to his corrections.
When I had finished the first instalment of the work thus intrusted to
me, my mother grew alarmed for my health, and insisted on my taking some
recreation. You were a