Produced by Les Bowler WITH EDGED TOOLS By Henry Seton Merriman “Of the same clay he maketh both the vessels that serve for clean uses, and likewise also such as serve to the contrary; but what is the use of either sort, the potter himself is the judge.” TO JAMES PAYN A TOKEN OF SINCERE REGARD CONTENTS I. TWO GENERATIONS II. OVER THE OLD GROUND III. A FAREWELL IV. A TRAGEDY V. WITH EDGED TOOLS VI. UNDER THE LINE VII. THE SECRET OF THE SIMIACINE VIII. A RECRUIT IX. TO PASS THE TIME X. LOANGO XI. A COMPACT XII. A MEETING XIII. IN BLACK AND WHITE XIV. PANIC-STRICKEN XV. A CONFIDENCE XVI. WAR XVII. UNDERHAND XVIII. A REQUEST XIX. IVORY XX. BROUGHT TO THE SCRATCH XXI. THE FIRST CONSIGNMENT XXII. THE SECOND CONSIGNMENT XXIII. MERCURY XXIV. NEMESIS XXV. TO THE RESCUE XXVI. IN PERIL XXVII. OFF DUTY XXVIII. A SLOW RECOVERY XXIX. A CHANCE ACQUAINTANCE XXX. OLD BIRDS XXXI. SEED-TIME XXXII. AN ENVOY XXXIII. DARK DEALING XXXIV. AMONG THORNS XXXV. ENGAGED XXXVI. NO COMPROMISE XXXVII. FOUL PLAY XXXVIII. THE ACCURSED CAMP XXXIX. THE EXTENUATING CIRCUMSTANCE XL. SIR JOHNS LAST CARD XLI. A TROIS XLII. A STRONG FRIENDSHIP XLIII. A LONG DEBT XLIV. MADE UP XLV. THE TELEGRAM CHAPTER I. TWO GENERATIONS Why all delights are vain, but that most vain Which with pain purchased doth inherit pain. “My dear--Madam--what you call heart does not come into the question at all.” Sir John Meredith was sitting slightly behind Lady Cantourne, leaning towards her with a somewhat stiffened replica of his former grace. But he was not looking at her--and she knew it. They were both watching a group at the other side of the great ballroom. “Sir John Meredith on Heart,” said the old lady, with a depth of significance in her voice. “And why not?” “Yes, indeed. Why not?” Sir John smiled with that well-bred cynicism which a new school has not yet succeeded in imitating. They were of the old school, these two; and their worldliness, their cynicism, their conversational attitude, belonged to a bygone period. It was a cleaner period in some ways--a period devoid of slums. Ours, on the contrary, is an age of slums wherein we all dabble to the detriment of our hands--mental, literary, and theological.