“Well, I guess it is all for the best. I’ll take it, and you can rest assured that you’ll lose nothing by your kindness.”
Their voices became lower again at this point, and Herbert, sorry for having remained so long, hurried back to bed and was soon in the land of slumber. Father, mother and son met at the breakfast table the next morning, and all seemed to be in a more cheerful frame of mind than they had been for some days. Mr. Harkins was bubbling over with good spirits. He turned to his wife in a laughing manner, and said:
“I’ve got a surprise for you this morning—a bit of good news that will make you feel good.”
“What is it?” asked the wife curiously.
“Simply that I have the money and I am going to pay off that obligation to John Black before the clock strikes another hour.”
The poor woman was so overjoyed at this unexpected news that she ran over and gave her husband a hearty kiss.
“This is good news, David,” she said. “How on earth did you manage to raise the money in such a short time?”
“Oh ho!” he replied merrily; “it’s news you are after, is it? Well you can’t have it just now. This money came from a gentleman who is a very good friend of mine. His name will have to remain a secret for the present at least.”
Herbert sat and listened to this conversation with a feeling of dismay. He felt like crying out and telling his father that he had been present at the mysterious midnight interview and had heard things that were not intended for his ears; but his lips refused to frame the words, and he sat there feeling very mean and very guilty. Finally both conscience and curiosity got the better of him. He made up his mind to confess his little indiscretion—for it was not anything more serious than an indiscretion—and then to ask his father to tell him the name of the strange man who had appeared at such an unusual hour and under such unusual circumstances. Mr. Harkins had his hat and coat on preparing to leave the house when Herbert arose from the table and said to him in a voice that quivered with nervousness:
“Father, I could not sleep last night.”