"I thought he was on his way to the Island by this time," thought Roswell, perplexed. "What can it mean?"
It occurred to him all at once that Dick might just have been discharged, and this thought cheered him up considerably. He entered the counting-room with a jaunty step.
"Good-morning, Cousin James," he said.
Gilbert turned round, and said, in a surly tone, "You may as well take yourself off. There's no chance for you here."
"Hasn't the boot-black been discharged?"
"No; and isn't going to be."
"How is that?" asked Roswell, looking very much disappointed.
"I can't stop to tell you now. You'd better go now, and I'll tell you this evening."
"Just my luck!" said Roswell to himself, considerably crest-fallen. "I wish I hadn't said a word to Edward McLean about the place."