"Nothing in the world," said the Rector, readily; "we all received him with pleasure, and found him really an acquisition; a young man not of much education, to be sure, but perfectly unobjectionable in a moral point of view. I remember urging strongly upon the late Squire the propriety of sending Roger to Cambridge, when my own boy went there, for we had no suspicion then of his unfortunate circumstances. He would not, sir; he was an unreasonable, old-fashioned person--what you call a John Bull sort of man. He said his Nimrod had no occasion to be a student. Poor man!--he would have acknowledged the wisdom of my counsels had he been living now." "Is the young man, then, a Nimrod?" asked Colonel Sutherland. "I understand--for of course such exploits are a little out of my way," said the gracious Rector--"that he is one of the best shots in the country; and I know from my boy, who was fond of athletic sports, that he excels in most of them. So much the worse for him now. It is a very sad thing, and one unfortunately too common, to see young men brought up to no other habits than those of a country gentleman, and then launched upon life with the sentiment of the unjust steward, 'To dig I know not, and to beg I am ashamed.'" There was a little pause after this solemn and somewhat professional utterance, the Colonel not perceiving exactly how to answer this calm regret and sympathy, which never conceived the idea of helping, by a little finger, the misfortune it deplored. After a little silence, the Rector added, "You were acquainted with Mr. Musgrave, perhaps?--you feel an interest in the young man?" "I do, certainly--though I had no acquaintance whatever with his former circumstances; he has been thrown accidentally in my way since I came here," said Colonel Sutherland. "Let us never say anything is done accidentally," said the Rector, rising to take his leave with the most ingratiating smile--for he was low church, and evangelical in theology, however he might be in his actions; "everything has a purpose, my dear sir. Let us hope that it is _providentially_ for poor Roger that he has been thrown in your way."