SECOND YEAR--THESIGER AND PLATT--MY FIRST BRIEF.


In my second year I made fifty pounds, the sweetest fifty pounds
I ever made. I had no longer any weary waiting, for there was no
weariness in it, and I confess at this time my sole idea, and I may
add my only ambition, was to relieve myself of all obligations to my
father. If I could accomplish this, I should have vindicated the step
I had taken, and my father would have no further right, whatever
reason he might think he had, to complain.

My third year came, and then, to my great joy, finding that I was
earning more than the hundred pounds he allowed me, I wrote and
informed him, with all proper expressions of gratitude, that I should
no longer need his assistance, and from that time I never had a single
farthing that I did not earn.

I am sure I was prouder of that than of my peerage, for I experienced
for the first time the joyous pride of independence. There is no fruit
of labour so sweet as that.

But I no sooner began to obtain a little success than my rivals
and others tried to deprive me of the merit of it, if merit there
was--"Oh, of course his father and uncle are both solicitors in the
county;" while one of the local newspapers years after was good enough
to publish a paragraph which stated that I owed all my success to my
father's office.

This, of course, does not need contradiction. An occasional small