But, alas! the steps were very small, and the clerks' salaries were only
increased by five pounds a year at a time. It would be so long before I
earned two hundred a year, and at the same rate I should be an old man
before I reached three hundred.

One morning--it was the 1st of May--bright, warm, sunny day, the London
streets were more gay than usual, and as I walked along I wondered if
ever again I should breathe the perfume of the lime and the lilac in the
springtime. I saw a girl selling violets and daffodils, with crocuses
and spring flowers. I am not ashamed to say that tears came into my
eyes--flowers and sunshine and all things sweet seemed so far from me
now.

I reached the office, and there, to my intense surprise, found a letter
waiting for me.

"Here is a letter for you, Mr. Trevelyan," said the head clerk,
carelessly.

He gave me a large blue official envelope. If he had but known what it
contained!

Some minutes passed before I had time to open it; then I read as
follows:

"To Sir Edgar Trevelyan:

"Sir: We beg to inform you that by the death of Sir Barnard
Trevelyan, and his son, Mr. Miles Trevelyan, who both died of the
epidemic in Florence, you, as next of kin, will succeed. We are not