"I don’t know where he is," said the burly correspondent, examining the stranger with his small shrewd eyes, "but I guarantee that, wherever he is, he is living on the best. Shooting stags in Scotland most likely—" "They don’t shoot stags in December," said Vincent, briefly. "Or careering down the Mediterranean in a yacht—gad, an auxiliary screw would come in handy for the old man," continued Mr. Fox, grinning at his own gay facetiousness; "anyhow, wherever he is, I’ll bet he’s enjoying himself and living on the fat of the land. Merry as a cricket—bawling away at his Scotch songs: I suppose that was how he amused himself when he was in Sing Sing—perhaps he learnt it there—" "I thought you would probably know where he is," said Vincent, not paying much heed to these little jocosities, "if he happened to be sending in to you those articles on the Scotch ballads—" "Articles on Scotch ballads!" said Mr. Fox, with a bit of a derisive laugh. "Yes, I know. A collation of the various versions: a cold collation, I should say, by the time he has got done with them. Why, my dear sir, have you never heard of Professor Childs, of Harvard College?" "I have heard of Professor Child," said Vincent. "Well, well, well, well, what is the difference?" said the ponderous correspondent, who rolled from side to side in his easy-chair as if he were in a bath, and peered with his minute, twinkling eyes. "And indeed it matters little to me what kind of rubbish is pitchforked into the _Weekly_. If my boss cares to do that kind of thing, for the sake of a ’brother Scot,’ that’s his own look-out. All I know is that not a scrap of the cold collation has come here, or has appeared in the _Weekly_ as yet; so there is no clue that way to the whereabouts of old Father Christmas, old Santa Claus, the Wandering Scotch Jew—if that is what you want." "I am sorry to have troubled you," said Vincent, with his hand on the door. "Stop a bit," said Mr. Fox, in his blunt and rather impertinent fashion. "You and I might chance to be of use to each other some day. I like to know the young men in politics. If I can do you a good turn, you’ll remember it; or rather you won’t remember it, but I can recall it to you, when I want you to do me one. Take a seat. Let’s make a compact. When you are in the House, you’ll want the judicious little paragraph sent through the provinces now and again: I can manage all that for you. Then you can give me an occasional tip: you’re in ——’s confidence, people say—as much as any one can expect to be, that is. Won’t you take a seat?—thanks, that will be better. I want to know you. I’ve already made one important acquaintanceship through your friend Mr. Bethune: it was quite an event when the great George Morris condescended to visit this humble office——" "George Morris!" said Vincent.