prodigious an elevation, but I can now comprehend why it was desirable
that this surprising estimate of the vicar's liabilities should prevail.
Mr. Jos. Larkin had a weakness for enveloping much of what he said and
wrote in an honourable mystery. He liked writing _private_ or
_confidential_ at top of his notes, without apparent right or even reason
to impose either privacy or confidence upon the persons to whom he wrote.
There was, in fact, often in the good attorney's mode of transacting
business just a _soupcon_ or flavour of an _arriere pensee_ of a remote
and unseen plan, which was a little unsatisfactory.

Now, with the vicar he was imperative that the matter of the reversion
should be strictly confidential--altogether 'sacred,' in fact.

'You see, the fact is, my dear Mr. Wylder, I never meddle in speculative
things. It is not a class of business that I like or would touch with one
of my fingers, so to speak,' and he shook his head gently; 'and I may
say, if I were supposed to be ever so slightly engaged in these risky
things, it would be the _ruin_ of me. I don t like, however, sending you
into the jaws of the City sharks--I use the term, my dear Mr. Wylder,
advisedly--and I make a solitary exception in your case; but the fact is,
if I thought you would mention the matter, I could not touch it even for
you. There's Captain Lake, of Brandon, for instance--I should not be
surprised if I lost the Brandon business the day after the matter reached
his ears. All men are not like you and me, my dear Mr. Wylder. The sad
experience of my profession has taught me that a suspicious man of the
world, without religion, my dear Mr. Wylder,' and he lifted his pink
eyes, and shook his long head and long hands in unison--'without
religion--will imagine anything. They can't understand us.'

Now, the fifty pounds which good Mr. Larkin had procured for the