intention of preying generally upon the retail dealers, as his uncle the
admiral had done. But he became known as a young man with whom money was
"tight." All this had been going on for three or four years before he had
met Lucy Morris at the deanery. He was then eight-and-twenty, and had been
four years called. He was thirty when old Lady Fawn hinted to him that he
had better not pay any more visits at Fawn Court.

But things had much altered with him of late. At the time of that visit to
the deanery he had made a sudden start in his profession. The corporation
of the city of London had brought an action against the Bank of England
with reference to certain alleged encroachments, of which action,
considerable as it was in all its interests, no further notice need be
taken here than is given by the statement that a great deal of money in
this cause had found its way among the lawyers. Some of it penetrated into
the pocket of Frank Greystock; but he earned more than money, better than
money, out of that affair. It was attributed to him by the attorneys that
the Bank of England was saved from the necessity of reconstructing all its
bullion cellars, and he had made his character for industry. In the year
after that, the Bobsborough people were rather driven into a corner in
search of a clever young Conservative candidate for the borough, and Frank
Greystock was invited to stand. It was not thought that there was much
chance of success, and the dean was against it. But Frank liked the honour
and glory of the contest, and so did Frank's mother. Frank Greystock
stood, and at the time in which he was warned away from Fawn Court had
been nearly a year in Parliament. "Of course it does interfere with one's
business," he had said to his father; "but then it brings one business
also. A man with a seat in Parliament who shows that he means work will
always get nearly as much work as he can do." Such was Frank's exposition
to his father. It may perhaps not be found to hold water in all cases.
Mrs. Dean was of course delighted with her son's success, and so were the