"Of course," said Diamond. "How could he drive a cab if he wasn't?"

"There are some men who drive cabs who are not very good,"
objected Mr. Raymond.

Diamond remembered the drunken cabman, and saw that his friend
was right.

"Ah, but," he returned, "he must be, you know, with such a horse
as old Diamond."

"That does make a difference," said Mr. Raymond. "But it is quite
enough that he is a good man without our trying to account for it.
Now, if you like, I will give you a proof that I think him a good man.
I am going away on the Continent for a while--for three months,
I believe--and I am going to let my house to a gentleman who does
not want the use of my brougham. My horse is nearly as old, I fancy,
as your Diamond, but I don't want to part with him, and I don't
want him to be idle; for nobody, as you say, ought to be idle;
but neither do I want him to be worked very hard. Now, it has come
into my head that perhaps your father would take charge of him,
and work him under certain conditions."

"My father will do what's right," said Diamond. "I'm sure of that."

"Well, so I think. Will you ask him when he comes home to call
and have a little chat with me--to-day, some time?"

"He must have his dinner first," said Diamond. "No, he's got