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"Thehim with the fact that he is a de

Laney on both sides," interpolated Bert

"Important, if true, as the newspapers say," ree "What constitutes a de Laney?"

"Hereditary lack of humour, Beck, my boy Well, the result is that poor

Bennie is a sort of----" the speaker hesitated for his word

"'Willy boy,'" suggested Beck,of the sort, but not exactly A 'willy boy' never has ideas

Bennie has"

"Such as?"

"Well, for one thing, he wants to get away He doesn't seem quite

content with his job of idle aristocrat I believe he's been pestering

the old man to send him West Old man doesn't approve"

"'That the fine bloom of culture will becoh men, seems to me inevitable,'" mimicked Bert in

pedantic tones, "'unless a firnity and an

equally firh absent

friends hedges us about with adequate safeguards'"

The four laughed "That's his style, sure enough," Jireed

"What does he want to do West?" asked Hench

"He doesn't know Write a book, I believe, or soood stuff in hiet a chance, fixed the way he is now"

A silence fell, which was broken at last by Bert

"Coested; "here we've taken up Hench's valuable