"That's right. Which shall I take?"

"The garter set with rubies," said Sir Charles
Burgoyne.

"The snake with the diamond head," said the
Earl.

"The opals and diamonds," said William
Trefalden.

Saxon laughed, and shook his head.

"If you each give me different advice," said
he, "what am I to do?"

"Choose for yourself," replied his cousin.

And so Saxon, very diffidently and hesitatingly,
chose for himself, and took the one his cousin
had preferred.

"And pray what may be the cost of this
magnificent trifle?" asked Mr. Trefalden, when the
choice was made, and the messengers had made
their bows and vanished.

"I have no idea," replied Saxon.

"Do you mean that you have bought it without
having made any inquiry as to its price?"

"Of course."

"Pray do you never inquire before you
purchase?"

"Never. Why do you smile?"

"Because I fear your tradesmen will charge
you at any fabulous rate they please."

"Why, so they could in any case! What do
I know, for instance, of opals and diamonds,
except that the opal is a hydrate of silica, and
the diamond a compound of charcoal and
oxygen? They might ask me what price they
pleased for this bracelet, and I, in my ignorance
of its value, should buy it, just the same."

"It is well for you, Trefalden, that you have
the purse of Fortunatus to dip your hand into,"
said Sir Charles Burgoyne.

"But even Fortunatus must take care that his
purse has no hole in the bottom of it," added
Mr. Trefalden. "You are a bad financier, my
dear Saxon; and you and I must have a little
practical conversation some day on these matters.
By the way, I have really some business points
to discuss with you. When can you give up an
hour or two to pure and unmixed boredom?"

"When you please, cousin William."

"Well—this evening?"

"This evening, unfortunately, I have promised
to dine at the club with Greatorex, and two or
three others, and we are going afterwards to the
opera."

"To-morrow evening, then?"

"And to-morrow my new phaeton is coming
home, and we are going in it to Blackwall—
Lord Castletowers and Sir Charles Burgoyne, I
mean."

"Then, on Saturday . . . ."

"On Saturday, I hope you will join us at
Richmond. Don't forget it, cousin William.
You have the note, you know, in your pocket."

Mr. Trefalden smiled somewhat gravely.

"Are you already such an epicurean that you
want the traditional skeleton at your feast?"
said he. " No, no, Saxon. I am a man of
business, and have no leisure for such symposia.

You must dispense with my grim presence—and
I, apparently, must dispense with yours. I had
no notion that you were such a man of fashion
as to have all your evenings engaged in this
manner."

"I can't think how it is," replied Saxon, in
some confusion. "I certainly have made more
appointments than I was aware of. My friends
are so kind to me, and plan so many things to
give me pleasure, that—will Sunday do, cousin
William? You might come up here and dine
with me; or we might . . . ."

"I am always engaged on Sundays," said Mr.
Trefalden, drily.

"Then on Monday?"

"Yes, I can see you on Monday, if you will
really be at leisure."

"Of course I will be at leisure."

"But you must come to me. I shall be very
busy, and can only see you after office hours."

"I will come to you, cousin, at any time you
please," said Saxon, earnestly.

"At eight in the evening?"

"At eight."

Mr. Trefalden entered the hour and date in
his pocket-book, and rose to take his leave.

"I had hoped that you would spare me a day
or two next week, Mr. Trefalden," said Lord
Castletowers, as they shook hands at parting.
"Your cousin has promised to come down, and
we have a meet, and some evening parties coming
off; and a breath of country air would do you
good before the summer sets in."

But Mr. Trefalden shook his head.

"I thank you, Lord Castletowers," he replied;
"but it is impossible. I am as firmly chained
to Chancery-lane for the next five months as any
galley-slave to his oar."

"But, my dear sir, is it worth any man's while
to be a galley-slave, if he can help it?" asked
the Earl.

"Perhaps. It depends on the motive; and
self-imposed chains are never very heavy to the
wearer."

And with this, Mr. Trefalden bowed to both
gentlemen, and left the room, followed by his
cousin.

"That's a quiet, deep fellow," said Burgoyne.

"He is a very gentlemanly, pleasant, clever
man," replied the Earl, "and has been our
solicitor for years."

"I don't like him."

"You don't know him."

"True—do you?"

Lord Castletowers hesitated.

"Well, upon my soul," laughed he, " I cannot
say that I do, personally. But, as I tell you, he
is my solicitor, and I like him. I only speak
from my impressions."

"And I from mine. He is not my solicitor,
and I don't like him. He thinks too much, and
says too little."

In the mean while, Saxon was warmly wringing
his cousin's hand at the door of the
anteroom, and saying, in a low, earnest tone,