was supposed to be, or to have been, as good as any in the kingdom, and
therefore there was very much to be learned in the office at Stratton.
But Mr. Burton was not a rich man like his partner, Mr. Beilby, nor an
ambitious man. He had never soared Parliamentwards, had never
speculated, had never invented, and never been great. He had been the
father of a very large family, all of whom were doing as well in the
world, and some of them perhaps better, than their father. Indeed, there
were many who said that Mr. Burton would have been a richer man if he
had not joined himself in partnership with Mr. Beilby. Mr. Beilby had
the reputation of swallowing more than his share wherever he went.

When the business part of the arrangement was finished Mr. Burton talked
to his future pupil about lodgings, and went out with him into the town
to look for rooms. The old man found that Harry Clavering was rather
nice in this respect, and in his own mind formed an idea that this new
beginner might have been a more auspicious pupil, had he not already
become a fellow of a college. Indeed, Harry talked to him quite as
though they two were on an equality together; and, before they had
parted, Mr. Burton was not sure that Harry did not patronize him. He
asked the young man, however, to join them at their early dinner, and
then introduced him to Mrs. Burton, and to their youngest daughter, the
only child who was still living with them. "All my other girls are
married, Mr. Clavering; and all of them married to men connected with my
own profession." The color came slightly to Florence Burton's cheeks as
she heard her father's words, and Harry asked himself whether the old
man expected that he should go through the same ordeal; but Mr. Burton
himself was quite unaware that he had said anything wrong, and then went
on to speak of the successes of his sons. "But they began early, Mr.
Clavering; and worked hard--very hard indeed." He was a good, kindly,
garrulous old man; but Harry began to doubt whether he would learn much