He paused rather awkwardly.
"Finish the sentence," urged Aaron, in a kind tone.
"To tell you the truth," said Mr. Moss, with a frank laugh, "she thought you might be too grand now to visit us. I told her she was mistaken. 'Cohen is not the kind of man to forget the past,' I said to her."
"No," said Aaron; "I do not forget the past."
The sad tone in which these words were spoken escaped Mr. Moss. With a beaming face, he continued,--
"'Once a friend,' I said to Mrs. Moss, 'always a friend. It does not matter to him whether a man is up or down in the world, so long as he is honest and straightforward.' Why, if business went wrong, and I was in trouble, I should come straight to you."
Aaron pressed the hand of this warm-hearted friend.
"You would do right. I hope you may never need my services in that way; but if unhappily you should, do not hesitate to come to me."
"I promise you, Cohen, I promise you. Not that there is any likelihood of it. To bring up such a family as ours is no light matter, keeps one's nose to the grindstone, as the saying is; but we're not at all badly off. I return to Portsmouth on Thursday. Will that time suit you for the visit?"
"Yes; I will accompany you."