were cashiered, would he fall to be a puisne judge? The ignorance

of your middle class surprises me. Outside itself, it thinks the

world to lie quite ignorant and equal, sunk in a common

degradation; but to the eye of the observer, all ranks are seen to

stand in ordered hierarchies, and each adorned with its particular

aptitudes and knowledge. By the defects of your education you are

more disqualified to be a working man than to be the ruler of an

empire. The gulf, sir, is below; and the true learned arts--those

which alone are safe from the competition of insurgent laymen--are

those which give his title to the artisan.'

'This is a very pompous fellow,' said Challoner, in the ear of his

companion.

'He is immense,' said Somerset.

Just then the door of the divan was opened, and a third young

fellow made his appearance, and rather bashfully requested some

tobacco. He was younger than the others; and, in a somewhat

meaningless and altogether English way, he was a handsome lad.

When he had been served, and had lighted his pipe and taken his

place upon the sofa, he recalled himself to Challoner by the name

of Desborough.

'Desborough, to be sure,' cried Challoner. 'Well, Desborough, and

what do you do?'

'The fact is,' said Desborough, 'that I am doing nothing.'

'A private fortune possibly?' inquired the other.

'Well, no,' replied Desborough, rather sulkily. 'The fact is that

I am waiting for something to turn up.'

'All in the same boat!' cried Somerset. 'And have you, too, one

hundred pounds?'

'Worse luck,' said Mr. Desborough.

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