“Hang your negatives!” shouted Mr. Vanstone.  “I don’t care a rush for negatives, or affirmatives either.  Frank shall have this splendid chance; and I’ll lay you any wager you like he makes the best of it.”

“I am not rich enough to lay wagers, usually,” replied Mr. Clare; “but I think I have got a guinea about the house somewhere; and I’ll lay you that guinea Frank comes back on our hands like a bad shilling.”

“Done!” said Mr. Vanstone.  “No:  stop a minute!  I won’t do the lad’s character the injustice of backing it at even money.  I’ll lay you five to one Frank turns up trumps in this business!  You ought to be ashamed of yourself for talking of him as you do.  What sort of hocus-pocus you bring it about by, I don’t pretend to know; but you always end in making me take his part, as if I was his father instead of you.  Ah yes! give you time, and you’ll defend yourself.  I won’t give you time; I won’t have any of your special pleading.  Black’s white according to you.  I don’t care:  it’s black for all that.  You may talk nineteen to the dozen—­I shall write to my friend and say Yes, in Frank’s interests, by to-day’s post.”

Such were the circumstances under which Mr. Francis Clare departed for the north of England, at the age of seventeen, to start in life as a civil engineer.

From time to time, Mr. Vanstone’s friend communicated with him on the subject of the new pupil.  Frank was praised, as a quiet, gentleman-like, interesting lad—­but he was also reported to be rather slow at acquiring the rudiments of engineering science.  Other letters, later in date, described him as a little too ready to despond about himself; as having been sent away, on that account, to some new railway works, to see if change of scene would rouse him; and as having benefited in every respect by the experiment—­except perhaps in regard to his professional studies, which still advanced but slowly.  Subsequent communications announced his departure, under care of a trustworthy foreman, for some public works in Belgium; touched on the general benefit he appeared to derive from this new change; praised his excellent manners and address, which were of great assistance in facilitating business communications with the foreigners—­and passed over in ominous silence the main question of his actual progress in the acquirement of knowledge.  These reports, and many others which resembled them, were all conscientiously presented by Frank’s friend to the attention of Frank’s father.  On each occasion, Mr. Clare exulted over Mr. Vanstone, and Mr. Vanstone quarreled with Mr. Clare.  “One of these days you’ll wish you hadn’t laid that wager,” said the cynic philosopher.  “One of these days I shall have the blessed satisfaction of pocketing your guinea,” cried the sanguine friend.  Two years had then passed since Frank’s departure.  In one year more results asserted themselves, and settled the question.