ill suited his very smallest of fortunes, for his father was a poor man,
with a large family, and had already embarrassed himself heavily by the
cost of sending his eldest son to the university. Joe's changes of
purpose--for he had in succession abandoned law for medicine, medicine
for theology, and theology for civil engineering, and, finally, gave
them all up--had so outraged his father that he declared he would not
continue any allowance to him beyond the present year; to which Joe
replied by the same post, sending back the twenty pounds inclosed him,
and saying: 'The only amendment I would make to your motion is--as to
the date--let it begin from to-day. I suppose I shall have to swim
without corks some time. I may as well try now as later on.'

[Illustration: 'What lark have you been on, Master Joe?']

The first experience of his 'swimming without corks' was to lie in bed two
days and smoke; the next was to rise at daybreak and set out on a long
walk into the country, from which he returned late at night, wearied and
exhausted, having eaten but once during the day.

Kearney, dressed for an evening party, resplendent with jewellery, essenced
and curled, was about to issue forth when Atlee, dusty and wayworn, entered
and threw himself into a chair.

'What lark have you been on, Master Joe?' he said. 'I have not seen you for
three days, if not four!'

'No; I've begun to train,' said he gravely. 'I want to see how long a
fellow could hold on to life on three pipes of Cavendish per diem. I take
it that the absorbents won't be more cruel than a man's creditors, and will
not issue a distraint where there are no assets, so that probably by the