Fiction > Book editions > London, 1885 - Dynamiter

^ NEW ARABIAN NIGHTS.
world to lie quite ignorant and equal, sunk in a common
degradation ; but to the eye of the observer, all ranks
are seen to stand in ordered hierarchies, and each
adorned with its particular aptitudes and knowledge.
By the defects of your education you are more disquali-
fied to be a working man than to be the ruler of an empire.
The gulf, sir, is below ; and the true learned arts— those
which alone are safe from the competition of insurgent
laymen — are those which give his title to the artisan."
' This is a very pompous fellow,' said Challoner in
the ear of his companion.
' He is immense,' said Somerset.
Just then the door of the divan was opened, and a
third young fellow made his appearance, and rather bash-
fully requested some tobacco. He was younger than
the others ; and, in a somewhat meaningless and alto-
gether English way, he was a handsome lad. When he
had been served, and had lighted his pipe and taken his
place upon the sofa, he recalled himself to Challoner by
the name of Desborough.
' Desborough, to be sure,' cried Challoner. 'Well,
Desborough, and what do you do ? '
' The fact is,' said Desborough, ' that I am doing
nothing.'
' A private fortune possibly 1 ' inquired the other.
' Well, no,' replied Desborough, rather sulkily.
' The fact is that I am waiting for something to turn up.'
' All in the same boat ! ' cried Somerset. ' And have
you, too, one hundred pounds ? '
' Worse luck,' said Mr. Desborough.
' This is a very pathetic sight, Mr, Godall,' said
Somerset : ' Three futiles.'
' A character of this crowded age,' returned the
salesman.
' Sir,' said Somerset, 'I deny that the age is crowded ;
I will admit one fact, and one fact only : that I am
futile, that he is futile, and that we are all three as
futile as the devil. What am I ? I have smattered
law, smattered letters, smattered geography, smattered
mathematics ; I have even a working knowledge of