It was with the greatest difficulty, that he continued to drag his wearied limbs along over the hills and through the valleys that lay between him and the city, and it was late in the morning before he appeared at the counting house of his employer, who was conversing with his partner at the moment.
‘And this you think is Monteagle’s cap,’ said Vandewater.
‘I know it to be his, and saw it on his head last evening, as he passed up Pacific street,’ responded Brown.
‘Ah, yes—yes. Too true—too true! Here are his initials, under the lining, in his own writing. This destroys my last hope of his innocence. And you say it was found close by the hole by which the robbers effected an entrance to the store.’
‘Yes; it was handed me by the storekeeper. It was evidently dropped in the hurry and forgotten when too late. But here is the young gentleman himself,’ said Brown, not a little surprised and alarmed at the appearance of Monteagle, whom he had supposed safely secured in the cavern.
‘Mr. Monteagle,’ said Vandewater, in a stern voice, slightly tremulous, however, with regret, ‘Your services are no longer needed in this establishment, nor do I ever wish you to tread upon the threshold of my house again. Great God! what an escape poor Julia has had. It was to this man I wished to entrust the keeping of your happiness!’
Before Monteagle could recover from his surprise, Brown broke in: ‘But perhaps, after all, Mr. Monteagle will explain from whom he received the note the other day, and what was the nature of the appointment it made.’
Monteagle blushed, hesitated, stammered but knew not how to reply.—‘This, then,’ thought he, ‘is the cause of my dismissal. Mr. Vandewater has learned of my associating with wantons, and justly dismisses me from his confidence.’
Meanwhile, Mr. Vandewater who had been closely watching him, and with sorrow saw what he supposed were convincing evidences of Monteagle’s complicity in the robbery. Not giving the youth time to recover from his confusion, he waved him out of his office with a cool, haughty gesture, which roused Monteagle’s pride, as he thought that he was not worse than thousands of other young men. And this feeling of hurt pride was greatly increased as he reflected upon the manner in which he had suffered, the previous evening, all but death sooner than divulge the secret of this man who now treated him so ungenerously. Turning upon his heel he slowly withdrew from the office, and wended his way to his lodging.