THE 'POWERS' THAT BE. 167 



it, instead of speaking ? Now don't be frightened ! 

 it isn't a book only a few sheets of paper poked 

 away in a drawer somewhere, and scribbled over : 

 fancy it a long letter from your ever affectionate 

 brother beyond the sea, or a notice from your land- 

 lord that he 's going to lower your rent, and giving all 

 his reasons for it. Don't you think you could keep 

 your eyes open ?" 



" Well, I think I could. But I hope it 's in ' words 

 o' two syllables :' that 's all I bargain for ; and I'm 

 your man, now. No time like present time !" 



A few short steps homewards ; a long rummaging 

 over a drawer of papers ; a great deal of settling down 

 comfortably in arm-chairs ; and, I'm afraid, a couple 

 of cigars, followed this sudden resolution; and Mr. 

 Greening looked wide awake, as the other casting his 

 eye rapidly down the pages of a manuscript, which 

 looked as if a swarm of spiders had crept out of the 

 ink-pot and been playing at leap-frog over the paper, 

 cleared his throat and began reading his 



' PRIVATE NOTIONS ox CULTIVATION.' 



' There are tliree kinds of ' power ' employed by 

 man. The first is manual power, the second is animal 

 power, and the third and most recent, is mechanical 

 power. Each has its own peculiar mode of action ; 



