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   A.  I understand that, of course, and long to make myself useful in other branches, especially in correspondence, which would be my favourite aim, but I guess it will be a long affair.
   0.  Well, it may or may not be a long affair; that depends on yt ur cleverness in catching the peculiarites of form and style, which characterize commercial letter-writing. It is not so much the question of theory, you know, as of practice and experience; you must keep your eyes and ears''wide'open and never be content until you thoroughly understand everything that comes in your way.
   A.  That's what I intend to do, of course, but I think that there must be many things which I might learn in advance, and which would enable me to pick up quickly enough what would otherwise require a long time to be taken in. Theory alone is of very little avail, I know, but in my opinion, it is a very useful, nay almost indispensable preparation to pratice. Would you not advise me to take a course of lessons in the matter from a good teacher ?
   0.  You are right in principle, my dear friend, but, as a rule, professional teachers
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   know very little about commerce and commercial operations; the style you might learn from them, although grammatically correct, nay classical, would, on that very account, be far from such as used by commercial men, and therefore unfit for the task.
   The imitation of good specimens is one of the best means of tuition in our branch, and there are books published for the purpose, being collections of real commercial letters actually gathered from counting-house (i) letter books.
   Only a few pratical hints may be required, which I willingly offer to impart you in a few lessons.
   A.  It is really very kind of you, Mr. Wilson, and I thank you in advance for such an un-valuable boon. Am I trespassing on your goodness by begging of you that we might begin at once ?
   Business is over for to-day and we both have a couple of hours to spare before dinner time; that is if you have no engagement and feel disposed to sacrifice your usual afternoon walk.
   (i) Counting-house  Così chiamasi usualmente l'ufficio di una casa di commercici.