Also, wiser than many, he took some little care not to spend at full speed what life he had.

With this view he laid down and observed certain rules in the ordering of his pleasures, which enabled him to keep ahead of the vice-constable for some time longer than would otherwise have been the case.

But he is one who can never finally be outrun, and now, as Mr.Redmain was approaching the end of middle age, he heard plainly enough the approach of the wool-footed avenger behind him.

Horrible was the inevitable to him, as horrible as to any; but it had not yet looked frightful enough to arrest his downward rush.

In his better conditions--physical, I mean--whether he had any better moral conditions, I can not tell--he would laugh and say, "_Gather the roses while you may_"-- heaven and earth! what roses!--but, in his worse, he maledicted everything, and was horribly afraid of hell.