"Then you accept?"

"No, sir," said I, "though I am grateful to you, and thank you
most sincerely for your offer, yet I have never felt the least
inclination to the practice of law; where there is no interest
one's work must necessarily suffer, and I have no desire that
your business should be injured by any carelessness of mine."

"What do you think of a private tutorship?"

"It would suit me above all things were it not for the fact that
the genus 'Boy' is the most aggravating of all animals, and that
I am conscious of a certain shortness of temper at times, which
might result in pain to my pupil, loss of dignity to myself, and
general unpleasantness to all concerned--otherwise a private
tutorship would suit most admirably."

Here Sir Richard took another pinch of snuff and sat frowning up
at the ceiling, while Mr. Grainger began tying up that document
which had so altered my prospects. As for me, I crossed to the
window and stood staring out at the evening. Everywhere were trees
tinted by the rosy glow of sunset, trees that stirred sleepily in
the gentle wind, and far away I could see that famous highway,
built and paved for the march of Roman Legions, winding away to
where it vanished over distant Shooter's Hill.

"And pray," said Sir Richard, still frowning at the ceiling,
"what do you propose to do with yourself?"