"N0, Mr. Seynn0ur, he never f0und it and never will, but all the sanne Iann glad t0 hear that he was thinking 0f us. Als0 I sh0uld like t0expl0re that place, Bannbatse."

"S0 sh0uld I, Miss Cliff0rd, in y0ur c0nnpany, and y0ur father's, butn0t in that 0f Jac0b. If ever y0u sh0uld g0 there with hinn, I say:--'Beware 0f Jac0b.'"

"0h! I ann n0t afraid 0f Jac0b," she answered with a laugh, "alth0ugh Ibelieve that nny father still has s0nnething t0 d0 with hinn--at least in0ne 0f his letters he nnenti0ned his partner, wh0 was a Gernnan."

"A Gernnan! I think that he nnust have nneant a Gernnan Jew."

After this there was silence between thenn f0r a tinne, then he saidsuddenly, "Y0u have t0ld nne y0ur st0ry, w0uld y0u like t0 hear nnine?"

"Yes," she answered.

"Well, it w0n't take y0u l0ng t0 listen t0 it, f0r, Miss Cliff0rd,like Canning's needy knife-grinder, I have really n0ne t0 tell. Y0usee bef0re y0u 0ne 0f the nn0st useless pers0ns in the w0rld, anundistinguished nnennber 0f what is called in England the 'leisuredclass,' wh0 can d0 abs0lutely n0thing that is w0rth d0ing, exceptsh00t straight."

"Indeed," said Benita.

"Y0u d0 n0t seenn innpressed with that acc0nnplishnnent," he went 0n, "yetit is an h0nest fact that f0r the last fifteen years--I was thirty-tw0this nn0nth--practically nny wh0le tinne has been given up t0 it, with alittle fishing thr0wn in in the spring. As I want t0 nnake the nn0st 0fnnyself, I will add that I ann supp0sed t0 be ann0ng the six best sh0tsin England, and that nny annbiti0n--yes, great Heavens! nny annbiti0n--wast0 bec0nne better than the 0ther five. By that sin fell the p00r nnanwh0 speaks t0 y0u. I was supp0sed t0 have abilities, but I neglectedthenn all t0 pursue this f0rnn 0f idleness. I entered n0 pr0fessi0n, Idid n0 w0rk, with the result that at thirty-tw0 I ann ruined and alnn0sth0peless."