the future of mankind, or even the future of the English race; you and I
may perhaps discuss such questions a few years hence. In the meantime, what
are your personal ambitions? In brief, what would you like to be,
Humplebee?'

Under the eye of his master and of the commercial potentate, Humplebee
stood voiceless; he gasped once or twice like an expiring fish.

'Courage, my boy, courage!' cried Mr. Chadwick. 'Your father, I believe,
destines you for commerce. Is that your own wish? Speak freely. Speak as
though I were a friend you have known all your life.'

'I should like to please my father, sir,' jerked from the boy's lips.

'Good! Admirable! That's the spirit I like, Humplebee. Then you have no
marked predilection? That was what I wanted to discover--well, well, we
shall see. Meanwhile, Humplebee, get on with your arithmetic. You are good
at arithmetic, I am sure?'

'Not very, sir.'

'Come, come, that's your modesty. But I like you none the worse for it,
Humplebee. Well, well, get on with your work, my boy, and we shall see, we
shall see.'

Therewith, to his vast relief, Humplebee found himself dismissed. Later in
the day he received a summons to the bedroom where Mr. Chadwick's son was
being carefully nursed. Leonard Chadwick, about the same age as his
rescuer, had never deigned to pay much attention to Humplebee, whom he
regarded as stupid and plebeian; but the boy's character was marked by a