to all my fellow volunteers, I started for the metropolis, and gave the necessary notices to the Incorporated Law Society of my in tention to submit myself for examination. I worked and read assiduously for a year or more and then presented myself for exami nation, answered the papers better than I expected, and then waited anxiously day by day to hear from the Secretary whether I had passed the examination, or had failed to do so. One evening as I was waiting in suspense I received at my lodgings a very formidable looking envelope bearing the stamp of the Law Society. I hastily tore it open to learn my fate, and to my no small surprise found within it a letter from the Secretary informing me that the committee of that learned society required me to attend before them at their next meeting " to ex plain certain circumstances of a very disa greeable nature which had been brought to their notice, and which, unless explained to their satisfaction, would prevent my ever being admitted on the rolls of the court;" according to the best of my recollection .those were the words. I was stupefied, struck dumb. I racked my poor brains to guess what the circumstances of a disagree able nature could be to which the letter re ferred. Professionally I had a clean record, no ill-natured dog could wag his tongue to my discredit; I had not been guilty of " crib bing " at the examination; I had no stain on my private character that I could think of; I had never appeared in any of Her Majes ty's courts except in my proper place as pro fessionally concerned; I had never " been in trouble " as it is politely termed; I had never wronged man or woman that I could lay to my conscience, except (and here it burst upon me like a flash of lightning at summer midnight) Captain Briggs. Could he have been so despicably mean after my straightforward and ingenuous confession, even though he were smarting (as I knew he was) under the disappointment of not having succeeded in getting the post he cov
eted, — could he have been so despicably mean as to go behind my back, and seek to injure my whole life by bringing before the committee of the Law Society so absurd, but, as I felt bound to admit, so very awk ward a circumstance as my having improp erly made use of the signature of the Prime Minister; tobring this all before the august body of men, the learned heads of the pro fession, in whose hands lay the hopes and fears of all my future, and blast my whole career in revenge for one harmless though foolish practical joke? I spent a terrible night; the thought of all my five years of work being thrown away, the grief that would fall on the loved ones at home, and also on another loved one who did not then live at my home; all these things burst upon me in their full and fearful array; for, hope as I might, I could not feel sure that so staid and upright a body of men as the com mittee could be persuaded to look leniently on a palpable act of forgery, and that of the name of the Prime Minister. I relieved my feelings by sitting down. and penning a furi ous outburst of vituperation on Captain Briggs. My temper got the better of my brain, and I made very free use of the Eng lish language in expressing my indignation at his malicious conduct, and while the fit of fiery wrath was hot upon me I went out and posted my letter, and then tried to sleep, which, of course, I found it quite impossible to do. Very early the next morning, before the world was awake, I dragged my weary limbs many miles out of London into the suburb in which the senior partner of the firm, in whose office I had spent the last year of my articles, resided, who was him self a member of the committee. Greatly concerned was he when I told him my story, and produced the letter of the Secretary; faithfully he promised me he would put everything else on one side, and inquire into the whole matter, and see what could be done for me; one more kindly thing he did for me, he insisted on my sitting down with
