and books and all."

"Thank you, Mr. Chalker. I will look round me, and--and--do my best.
Good day, Mr. Chalker."

"The best you can do, Mr. Emblem," returned the solicitor, "is to take
me as your adviser. You trust David Chalker."

"Thank you. Good-day, Mr. Chalker."

On his way out, Mr. Chalker stopped for a moment and looked round the
shop.

"How's business?" he asked the assistant.

"Dull, sir," replied Mr. James. "He throws it all away, and neglects
his chances. Naturally, being so rich--"

"So rich, indeed," the solicitor echoed.

"It will be bad for his successor," Mr. James went on, thinking how
much he should himself like to be that successor. "The goodwill won't
be worth half what it ought to be, and the stock is just falling to
pieces."

Mr. Chalker looked about him again thoughtfully, and opened his mouth
as if about to ask a question, but said nothing. He remembered, in
time, that the shopman was not likely to know the amount of his
master's capital or investments.