I shook my head in grave assent, but all the time I was thinking the day
when that house ceased to haunt our offices, would be a very dreary one
for the wags amongst our clerks. "Yes, I certainly shall advise Miss
Blake to sell," repeated Mr. Craven, slowly.

Although a hard-working man, he was eminently slow in his ideas
and actions.

There was nothing express about our dear governor; upon no special
mental train did he go careering through life. Eminently he preferred
the parliamentary pace: and I am bound to say the life-journey so
performed was beautiful exceedingly, with waits not devoid of interest
at little stations utterly outside his profession, with kindly talk to
little children, and timid women, and feeble men; with a pleasant smile
for most with whom he came in contact, and time for words of kindly
advice which did not fall perpetually on stony ground, but which
sometimes grew to maturity, and produced rich grain of which himself
beheld the garnering.

Nevertheless, to my younger and quicker nature, he did seem often
very tardy.

"Why not advise her now?" I asked.

"Ah! my boy," he answered, "life is very short, yet it is long enough to
have no need in it for hurry."

The same day, Colonel Morris appeared in our office. Within a fortnight,
that gallant officer was our tenant; within a month, Mrs. Morris, an