'Neither is it, in all probability,' answered the attorney. 'As you are so seriously pressed, and your brother's return delayed, it merely crossed my mind as a thing worth trying.' 'It was very kind and thoughtful; but that feeling--the--my poor little man! However, I may be only nervous and foolish, and I think I'll speak to Lord Chelford about it.' The attorney looked down, and took his nether lip gently between his finger and thumb. I rather think he had no particular wish to take Lord Chelford into council. 'I think before troubling his lordship upon the subject--if, indeed, on reflection, you should not think it would be a little odd to trouble him at all in reference to it--I had better look a little more carefully into the papers, and see whether anything in that direction is really practicable at all.' 'Do you think, Mr. Larkin, you can write that strong letter to stay proceedings which you intended yesterday?' The attorney shook his head, and said, with a sad sort of dryness--'I can't see my way to it.' The vicar's heart sank with a flutter, and then swelled, and sank another bit, and his forehead flushed. There was a silence. 'You see, Mr. Wylder, I relied, in fact, altogether upon this a--arrangement; and I don't see that any thing is likely to come of it.' The attorney spoke in the same dry and reserved way, and there was a shadow on his long face. 'I have forfeited his good-will somehow--he has ceased to take any interest in my wretched affairs; I am abandoned, and must be ruined.' These dreadful thoughts filled in another silence; and then the vicar said-- 'I am afraid I have, quite unintentionally, offended you, Mr. Larkin--perhaps in my ignorance of business; and I feel that I should be quite ruined if I were to forfeit your good offices; and, pray tell me, if I have said anything I ought not.' 'Oh, no--nothing, I assure you,' replied Mr. Larkin, with a lofty and gentle dryness. 'Only, I think, I have, perhaps, a little mistaken the relation in which I stood, and fancied, wrongly, it was in the light somewhat of a friend as well as of a professional adviser; and I thought, perhaps, I had rather more of your confidence than I had any right to, and did not at first see the necessity of calling in Lord Chelford, whose experience of business is necessarily very limited, to direct you. You remember, my dear Mr. Wylder, that I did not at all invite these relations; and I don't think you will charge me with want of zeal in your business.' 'Oh! my dear Mr. Larkin, my dear Sir, you have been my preserver, my benefactor--in fact, under Heaven, very nearly my last and only hope.' 'Well, I _had_ hoped I was not remiss or wanting in diligence.' And Mr. Larkin took his seat in his most gentlemanlike fashion, crossing his long legs, and throwing his tall head back, raising his eyebrows, and letting his mouth languidly drop a little open.