Miss Guir seemed disposed to be quiet, think I must have been nodding
myself."

"Do you feel disposed to join me in another pipe and a midnight
talk," inquired the host, "or are you inclined for bed?"

Paul was not sleepy, and nothing could have suited him better than to
sit over the fire, listening to this strange man, and so he again
accepted eagerly. Ah Ben seemed pleased, declaring it was a great
treat to have a friend who was as much of an owl as he himself was.
And so he added fresh fuel to the dying embers, settled himself in
his cosy corner by the fire, while Paul sat opposite.

"Every man must live his own life," resumed Ah Ben; "but with my
temper, the better half would be blotted out, were I deprived of this
quiet time for thought and reflection."

"I quite agree with you," replied Paul, "and yet the wisdom of the
world is opposed to late hours,"

"The wisdom of the world is based upon the experience of the _worldly
prosperous_; and what is worldly prosperity but the accumulation of
dollars? To be prosperous is one thing; to be happy, quite another."

"I see you are coming back to our old argument. I am sure I could
never school myself to the cheerful disregard for money which you
seem to have. For my part, I could not do without it, although, to be
sure, I sometimes manage on very little."

"Again the wisdom of the world!" exclaimed Ah Ben, "and what has it