manufacture of cloth, I believe. Would cloth now, the manufacture
of cloth, appear to provide the requisite opening? I have some
cousins still in the firm."

"I think it would do as well as anything else," said Howard, "and
if you have any interest in a particular business, it would be
worth while to make inquiries."

"Before I go to bed to-night," said the Vicar, "I will send a
statement of the case to my cousin; that will set the ball
rolling."

"Won't you have a talk with Jack first?" said Howard. "You may
depend upon it he will have some views."

"The very thing," said the Vicar. "I will put aside all my other
work, and talk to Jack after tea; if any difficulty should arise, I
may look to you for further counsel. This is really most
satisfactory. This matter has been in my mind in a nebulous way for
a long time; and you enter the scene with your intellectual grip,
and your psychological penetration--if that is not too intricate a
word--and the situation is clear at once. Well, I am most grateful
to you."

The talk then became general, or rather passed into the Vicar's
hands. "I have ventured," he said, "to indicate to Maud what Cousin
Anne was good enough to tell me last night--she laid no embargo on
the news--and a few particulars about your inheritance will not be
lacking in interest--and on our walk this afternoon, to which I am
greatly looking forward, we will explore your domains."