Howel Vaughan Williams, Clerk in Holy Orders, of Pontystrad in the County of Glamorgan, was desirous of being admitted a Student of the Honourable Society of the Inner Temple for the purpose of being called to the Bar or of practising under the Bar; and that he would not either directly or indirectly apply for or take out any certificate to practise directly or indirectly as a Pleader, Conveyancer or Draftsman in Equity without the special permission of the Masters of the Bench of the said Honourable Society of the Inner Temple.
Further, David declared with less assurance but perhaps within the four corners of the bare truth that he had not acted directly or indirectly in the capacity of a Solicitor, Attorney-at-law, Writer to the Signet or in about thirteen other specified legal positions; that he was not a Chartered, Incorporated or Professional Accountant ("A good job we changed the device of the Firm," he thought), a Land Agent, a Surveyor, Patent Agent, Consulting Engineer, or even as a clerk to any such officer.

Which made him rather shivery about what he _had_ been doing for _Fraser and Warren_, but there was little risk that any one would find out--And finally he declared that he was not in Trade or an undischarged bankrupt.
The next and most difficult step was to obtain two separate Certificates from two separate barristers each of five years' standing, to the effect that he was what he stated himself to be.
This required much thinking out, and was one of the reasons why he did not go down as promised and spend his Christmas and New Year with his father.
Instead he wrote to Pontystrad explaining how important it was he should get admitted as a Student in time to commence work in Hilary term.

Did his father know any such luminary of the law or any two such luminaries?
His father regretted that he only knew of one such barrister of over five years' standing: the distinguished son of an old Cambridge chum.

To him he wrote, venturing to recall himself, the more eagerly since this son of an old friend was himself a Welshman and already distinguished by his having entered Parliament, served with the Welsh Party, written a book on Welsh history, and married a lady of considerable wealth.
Next David applied to Rossiter with the result--as we have seen--that he got an introduction to Mr.Stansfield.So he obtained from Mr.Price and Mr.Stansfield the two certificates to the effect that "David Vavasour Williams has been introduced to me by letter of introduction from the Revd.

Howel Williams" (or "Professor Michael Rossiter, F.R.S.") "and has been seen by me; and that I, Mark Stansfield, Barrister-at-law, King's Counsel" (or "John Price, Barrister-at-law, Member of Parliament") "believe the said David Vavasour Williams to be a gentleman of respectability and a proper person to be admitted a Student of the Honourable Society of the Inner Temple with a view to being called to the Bar." Copies of the letters of introduction accompanied the two certificates.