o make him rich."

"Thank you," said the clergyman. "You cannot imagine how much your
conversation interests me."

Whereupon the functionary admitted that they knew many strange things in
his profession, and immediately after took his leave.

Mr. Rolles regained his apartment. It seemed smaller and barer than
usual; the materials for his great work had never presented so little
interest; and he looked upon his library with the eye of scorn. He took
down, volume by volume, several Fathers of the Church, and glanced them
through; but they contained nothing to his purpose.

"These old gentlemen," thought he, "are no doubt very valuable writers,
but they seem to me conspicuously ignorant of life. Here am I, with
learning enough to be a Bishop, and I positively do not know how to
dispose of a stolen diamond. I glean a hint from a common policeman,
and, with all my folios, I cannot so much as put it into execution. This
inspires me with very low ideas of University training."

Herewith he kicked over his book-shelf and, putting on his hat, hastened
from the house to the club of which he was a member. In such a place of
mundane resort he hoped to find some man of good counsel and a shrewd
experience in life. In the reading-room he saw many of the country
clergy and an Archdeacon; there were three journalists and a writer upon
the Higher Metaphysic, playing pool; and at dinner only the raff of
ordinary club frequenters showed their commonplace and obliterated
countenances. None of these, thought Mr. Rolles, would know more on
dangerous topics than he knew himself; none of them were fit to give him
guidance in his present strait. At length, in the smoking-room, up many
weary stairs, he hit upon a gentleman of somewhat portly build and
dressed with conspicuous plainness. He was smoking a cigar and reading
the _Fortnightly_ _Review_; his face was singularly free from all sign
of preoccupation or fatigue; and there was something in his air which
seemed to invite confidence and to expect submission. The more the young
clergyman scrutinised his features, the more he was convinced that he
had fallen on one capable of giving pertinent advice.

"Sir," said he, "you will excuse my abruptness; but I judge you from
your appearance to be pre-eminently a man of the world."

"I have indeed considerable claims to that distinction," replied the
stranger, laying aside his magazine with a look of mingled amusement and
surprise.

"I, sir,