reconcile myself to my destiny; and while you, are looking from
mountain peaks, at distant lakes and firths, I am, DE APICIBUS
JURIS, consoling myself with visions of crimson and scarlet
gowns--with the appendages of handsome cowls, well lined with
salary.

You smile, Darsie, MORE TUO, and seem to say it is little worth
while to cozen one's self with such vulgar dreams; yours being,
on the contrary, of a high and heroic character, bearing the same
resemblance to mine, that a bench, covered with purple cloth and
plentifully loaded with session papers, does to some Gothic
throne, rough with barbaric pearl and gold. But what would you
have?--SUA QUEMQUE TRAHIT VOLUPTAS. And my visions of
preferment, though they may be as unsubstantial at present, are
nevertheless more capable of being realized, than your
aspirations after the Lord knows what. What says my father's
proverb? 'Look to a gown of gold, and you will at least get a
sleeve of it.' Such is my pursuit; but what dost thou look to?
The chance that the mystery, as you call it, which at present
overclouds your birth and connexions, will clear up into
something inexpressibly and inconceivably brilliant; and this
without any effort or exertion of your own, but purely by the
goodwill of Fortune. I know the pride and naughtiness of thy
heart, and sincerely do I wish that thou hadst more beatings to
thank me for, than those which thou dost acknowledge so
gratefully. Then had I thumped these Quixotical expectations out
of thee, and thou hadst not, as now, conceived thyself to be the
hero of some romantic history, and converted, in thy vain
imaginations, honest Griffiths, citizen and broker, who never
bestows more than the needful upon his quarterly epistles, into