The barrister continued after a pause, "How many years did you say it was since you saw me last, Duncan?" "About three." "And I have changed so much in that time that you didn't know me. Pooh! what do I care? It's all over. No good crying over spilt milk. Have a drink, my boy. What will you take?" "Nothing now, thanks; I am going to sup." "Nonsense! Waiter, two brandies. If you won't name your poison yourself I must do it for you. Let's look at you, Duncan. You look fit enough--not much older. I've heard of you--got all the best appointments at your hospital--lucky man!" The brandies came. The doctor observed that Hudson drank his neat this time, and then commenced to become quite sober again--a dangerous symptom. "Hudson," said the doctor, "excuse me, old man, but what on earth is the meaning of all this? You don't look the man you were. You are twenty years older." "Well! I am older, old man," Hudson replied, flippantly. "Yes, but only by three years or so. What a fellow you were then, and now you look as if you were going to the dogs." "Going! gone, you mean," the barrister exclaimed with a bitter laugh. "But do I look so very much worse then, Duncan?" "Much worse! Why, man, I should not know you for the old Hudson of Caius, our stroke, our scholar, our rowdy, jolly, clever, healthy Tommy Hudson. Oh, my dear boy, if you could but see what you were and what you are. You must put on the brake. You'll have to come and live with me, and you'll soon be your old self again." Hudson shook his head. "Never! No! no! It's too late--too late now, old man, you don't know all. I've chucked up the sponge." "Nonsense, man. It's not too late." Hudson sat up in his chair and appeared quite sober as he replied: "It's too late. You don't know what a weak fool I am. It is no good my making resolutions. No, my boy, 'It's all up with poor Tommy now,' as that music-hall man sings--and I don't care. I used to try and reform once. It was no good--Ha! ha! Why it was only three months back, that I made my last attempt. I actually had resolution enough to live one whole week of the most abject virtue; think of that! but it was all the worse afterwards. I've gone a long way further down the hill these last three months." He paused for some time, resting his head on his hand, as he tried to collect his scattered ideas, then he continued: