“Two hundred and fifty dollars,” he said, handing Philip a roll of bills. “You cannot very well want more for your tickets and incidental expenses. You will, of course, stay in Halifax until Saxton sends for Gerald. He is a man who arbitrarily consults his own convenience, especially when he’s off with a set of his Wall Street cronies on a summering lark. You may be obliged to remain several days.”
“Thank you, sir,” said Touchtone, putting the money into his pocket. “It’s a wonderfully jolly little spree for me. I needn’t say again how I thank you for putting me in the way of it.”
“O, pshaw, Philip,” returned the hotel proprietor, lightly, as he reclosed the heavy safe door, “that’s all right! I don’t know how I should accomplish Saxton’s wishes without you. I shall miss you. One word more. This journey, as long as it lasts, and until Gerald leaves your hands, commits this little fellow to your care. So far as any one can be responsible for him, of course you are. I have spoken to Gerald and drawn his attention to the fact that he must now really obey you, not merely as his friend, but his ‘guardian’ in every sense of the word. The boy seems already oddly fond of you. I don’t think you will need to use a bit of authority. He will hardly attempt to differ with you foolishly. Still, he is in your hands, and he is a valuable handful. Saxton is a careless, rattling fellow in some respects, but he’s fond of his boy, after his fashion.”
Philip went up-stairs soberly. He was not eighteen. Somehow the tie between himself and this young charge who seemed to stand so in need of his friendship all at once weighed on our hero’s heart. He was Gerald’s guardian indeed; and, though the journey ahead was not like a trip to Europe or California, there were probably unexpected events to happen in its course where he must act for two. Well, he would try always to “do the best he could;” and Gerald’s welfare should be his North Star all the way from the Ossokosee to Halifax.
They were up bright and early next day. They ate their breakfasts hurriedly, and were driven over to the station just before the express came rolling into it. They could not reach New York before six o’clock in the evening.
[CHAPTER V.]
“THE UNGUESSED BEGINNINGS OF TROUBLE.”
About a dozen persons occupied the parlor-car. Neither Philip nor Gerald paid any attention to them; they were absorbed, first, in settling themselves, and, next, in the discovery that the station, Youngwood Manor, at which Mr. Marcy’s friend Hilliard should board their train, was not to be reached till after one o’clock. They consulted the letter from him (Philip happened to have brought it in his pocket), written in a neat, precise, hand—rather an elderly sort of hand—and felt disposed to like the sender of it, in advance.
But while they talked rather loudly and eagerly, and certainly with mentioning plenty of names and places, something of much importance to them suddenly got into progress near them. Let us say it was something fate had willed that they should not observe. They did not observe it. O, these big and little decrees in the destinies of boys and men! In this case it was their failure to be aware of apparently a very simple matter—the conduct of another passenger.