ADVISORY BEN E. V. LUCAS _Other Books of_ E. V. LUCAS ENTERTAINMENTS GENEVRA'S MONEY ROSE AND ROSE VERENA IN THE MIDST THE VERMILION BOX LANDMARKS LISTENER'S LURE MR. INGLESIDE OVER BEMERTON'S29 LONDON LAVENDER ESSAYS LUCK OF THE YEAR GIVING AND RECEIVING ROVING EAST AND ROVING WEST ADVENTURES AND ENTHUSIASMS CLOUD AND SILVER A BOSWELL OF BAGHDAD TWIX EAGLE AND DOVE THE PHANTOM JOURNAL LOITERER'S HARVEST ONE DAY AND ANOTHER FIRESIDE AND SUNSHINE CHARACTER AND COMEDY OLD LAMPS FOR NEW TRAVEL A WANDERER IN VENICE A WANDERER IN PARIS A WANDERER IN LONDON A WANDERER IN HOLLAND A WANDERER IN FLORENCE MORE WANDERINGS IN LONDON HIGHWAYS AND BYWAYS IN SUSSEX EDITED WORKS THE WORKS OF CHARLES AND MARY LAMB THE HAUSFRAU RAMPANT ANTHOLOGIES THE OPEN ROAD THE FRIENDLY TOWN HER INFINITE VARIETY GOOD COMPANY THE GENTLEST ART THE SECOND POST THE BEST OF LAMB REMEMBER LOUVAIN BOOKS FOR CHILDREN THE SLOWCOACH ANNE'S TERRIBLE GOOD NATURE A BOOK OF VERSES FOR CHILDREN ANOTHER BOOK OF VERSES FOR CHILDREN RUNAWAYS AND CASTAWAYS FORGOTTEN STORIES OF LONG AGO MORE FORGOTTEN STORIES THE "ORIGINAL VERSES" OF ANN AND JANE TAYLOR BIOGRAPHY THE LIFE OF CHARLES LAMB A SWAN AND HER FRIENDS THE BRITISH SCHOOL THE HAMBLEDON MEN SELECTED WRITINGS A LITTLE OF EVERYTHING HARVEST HOME VARIETY LANE MIXED VINTAGES ADVISORY BEN _A Story_ BY E. V. LUCAS [Illustration: Logo] NEW YORK GEORGE H. DORAN COMPANY COPYRIGHT, 1924, BY GEORGE H. DORAN COMPANY [Illustration: Logo] ADVISORY BEN --A-- PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA ADVISORY BEN I In the lives of all, even the least enterprising or adventurous, moments now and then arrive when a decision has to be made; and our demeanour at such times throws a strong light upon our character. Many of us postpone action, either sheltering behind a natural reluctance to do anything emphatic, or feeling that the Fates ought to arrange our affairs for us. After all, it is their _métier_. But my Ben was not like that. My Ben (to give her her full name, Benita Staveley) was instantly practical, and her disapproval of the pastoral process known as letting the grass grow under your feet was intense. All her actions were prompt, without, however, coming within the zone of impulse. Even at twenty-two she envisaged a situation with perfect clearness, and knew her mind; but why I should mention twenty-two as though it were a tender age, I can't explain, except as the result of pure want of thought. To say of a man that he is twenty-two is often merely to accuse him of callowness; but in a woman twenty-two can be maturity in everything but actual physique; and this is especially the case with those who, like Ben, even from young girlhood have been relied upon by father, mother, brothers and sisters to solve their difficulties and make things smooth for them.