He had just finished breakfast, and the room was beginning to brighten under the influence of a good fire, between which and the _Fool of Quality_ the Colonel felt more drowsy than he thought it creditable to be in the morning, when Horace made his appearance. The young man came in with drops of rain shining all over his rough coat, and with muddy boots, which he had taken no pains to clean before entering, and which offended the Colonel's professional and natural fastidiousness. The rain-drops flew over into his uncle's face as Horace threw off his coat. The Colonel looked on with a mortified displeasure, wondering over him;--he could not understand how it happened that so near a relation of his own should have so little natural grace of manner or perception of propriety. Accordingly, he looked very grave as he shook hands with Horace. He could not enter immediately on the more important subject between them; he could not help criticizing these lesser matters, and thinking how he could manage to suggest an improvement without wounding his nephew; for the Colonel, like other people, had his weaknesses, and in his opinion a disregard of the ordinary proprieties showed a dulness of heart. As for Horace, he on his part showed no particular anxiety about the question of the day--he was more inclined a great deal to draw his uncle into conversation on general subjects connected with his past life, his former visits to England, and the intercourse he formerly had with his sister and her husband. To this conversation Horace himself contributed a little description of their dinner-table on the previous evening, which was indeed a very dismal picture, and could scarcely be exaggerated. The Colonel shook his head over the story with pain and distress, grieved for the facts, and still more grieved to know that they rather gained than lost in bitterness by his nephew's recital. This stimulated him to introduce the real subject-matter of the present conference. "It is natural enough, under all the circumstances, and I daresay advisable as well," said the Colonel, "that you should wish to get away as soon as possible. Then as to what you are going to do, Horace, I come to the question under great difficulties. In the first place, when you leave me to choose for you, it almost appears as if I were the person sending you away, and not your own desire; and I have no object in sending you away, you must be aware." "What does it matter, uncle, how it appears, when we know exactly how it _is_?" said Horace, with apparent impatience and real craftiness. "That is very true, and the most sensible thing I have heard you say," said the unsuspecting Colonel. "Well then, Horace, my boy, there's business. I don't know very well how to set about it, but no doubt we could inquire; and I believe, for a man who desires to get on, there is nothing equal to that."