Sir Gregory Hardlines had expressed an adverse opinion as to the Internal Navigation, and worse, ten times worse than that, there had been an article in the _Times_.

Now, we all know that if anything is ever done in any way towards improvement in these days, the public press does it.

And we all know, also, of what the public press consists.

Mr.Oldeschole knew this well, and even Mr.Snape had a glimmering idea of the truth.

When he read that article, Mr.
Oldeschole felt that his days were numbered, and Mr.Snape, when he heard of it, began to calculate for the hundredth time to what highest amount of pension he might be adjudged to be entitled by a liberal-minded Treasury minute.
Mr.Oldeschole began to set his house in order, hopelessly; for any such effort the time was gone by.