"I'm never bored when I come here," said Lord Warburton. "One
gets such uncommonly good talk."

"Is that another sort of joke?" asked the old man. "You've no
excuse for being bored anywhere. When I was your age I had never
heard of such a thing."

"You must have developed very late."

"No, I developed very quick; that was just the reason. When I was
twenty years old I was very highly developed indeed. I was
working tooth and nail. You wouldn't be bored if you had
something to do; but all you young men are too idle. You think
too much of your pleasure. You're too fastidious, and too
indolent, and too rich."

"Oh, I say," cried Lord Warburton, "you're hardly the person to
accuse a fellow-creature of being too rich!"

"Do you mean because I'm a banker?" asked the old man.

"Because of that, if you like; and because you have--haven't
you?--such unlimited means."

"He isn't very rich," the other young man mercifully pleaded. "He
has given away an immense deal of money."

"Well, I suppose it was his own," said Lord Warburton; "and in
that case could there be a better proof of wealth? Let not a