"Let me give you a parable," he continued. "Once upon a time a certain boy on leaving school left also a large number of marbles. These were claimed by two of his companions, and one of the two took possession of them. Then arose a great outcry on the part of him who would have taken them if he could, and he dragged his fellow before a council of their peers. The monitor was judge, and two sharp young fellows who were good in debate and of ready tongue acted as counsel for the claimant and his foe respectively. "In the end judgment was given for the claimant, who carried off triumphantly the spoils of battle. And this judgment was given, not because the defendant had no right to the marbles, but because the lad who championed his cause was not so glib of speech nor so ready in argument as the fellow on the other side. Now it came to pass that the lad who won the case for his friend discovered soon after, what he had suspected all along--that the latter had no real claim to the marbles at all, and that they had been taken unjustly from the lad to whom they rightfully belonged. Yet the judgment of the court could not be upset. What was he to do?" "Nothing," replied Rose promptly. "Why?" inquired the Cynic. "It was the fortune of war," she answered; "the case was properly tried by an impartial court, and the defendant should have taken care to secure the services of the smarter advocate. It would be a lesson to him for the future. The world would never get on if everyone worried about things of that sort." "And you?" he said, turning to me. "Was there no chance of reversing the judgment?" I inquired. "None: it was irrevocable." "Had the plaintiff's counsel reason to suspect, did you say, that his client's cause was unjust before the verdict was given?" "He became practically convinced of it as the case proceeded, but not absolutely certain. Yet he fought for his client with might and main." "Had the plaintiff's counsel any marbles of his own?" I continued. "He had. Quite a fair store." "Sufficient to pay back the lad who had suffered the unjust judgment?" "About sufficient; no more." My heart thumped painfully, but I did not hesitate to answer: "I think he ought to have parted with his own marbles, and so redressed the wrong and saved his soul." There was silence for a moment before the Cynic spoke: "I think so, too." Then, irrelevantly: "There is something about this northern air that is very bracing." CHAPTER XVII GRACE BECOMES DEJECTED I had no time to feel depressed after Rose left on Saturday, for the afternoon brought me more customers than I could well accommodate.