'Th' applause of listening Senates to command.'
"I divine your ambition. Captain Hocken, and I honour it,"
"So long as you don't mistake me," urged Cai nervously. "It don't go beyond a seat on the School Board at present. . . . But there was a hint dropped that you used, back-along, to give lessons in—I forget the word."
"Elocution," Mr Benny supplied it. "A guinea the course of six lessons was my old charge. Shall we say to-morrow, at eleven sharp?"
"So be it," Cai agreed. "The sooner the better—I've to catch up the lee-way of three-quarters of a lifetime."
When Cai had folded the draft of his letter, bestowed it in his breast-pocket, and taken his departure, Mr Benny drew out his watch. It yet wanted a full hour of dinner-time. He rearranged the papers on his desk and resumed work upon the 'Fasti':—
"The hound beside the hare held consort in the shade,
The hind, the lioness, upon the self-same rock,
The too loquacious crow—"
Here some one knocked at the door.
"Come in!" called Mr Benny.
The door opened. The visitor was Captain Hunken.