"No, sir," said Nelly, hanging down her head and becoming at once very busy with her crochet-needle; "it was because—because I was tempted to tell a lie." Nelly fairly broke down, and cried heartily. Mr. Grayson coughed, blew his nose, and took a pinch of snuff.
"Don't do it, my child. Never do that, whatever happens. Look here, Nelly: I am an old man, and have seen a great many young men set out in life, with more or less bright prospects,—some of them very talented, some with only moderate abilities. I have seen some of them succeed and become respected, and others go to ruin and drag their friends down with them. But I have always seen this: the men who are perfectly honest and upright,—who are faithful to their work and to their word, honest in small things as well as great, not serving with eye-service, but having their employer's interest at heart as much in his absence as in his presence,—such young men invariably get on and do well, even with a very moderate amount of talent; while those of an opposite character, sooner or later, fall to the ground. Depend upon it, honesty is the best policy, even as regards this world. Mistress Kirkland," he added, turning to that lady as she entered the shop, "I have been giving Miss Nelly a lecture,—not exactly a lecture, either, but the benefit of my experience as respects honesty."
"Nelly needs it less than a good many other people we know, Mr. Grayson," replied Mrs. Kirkland. "I am happy to be able to say, with truth, that I have found her a very faithful, honest girl. You may guess that I have confidence in her, by my leaving her alone in the shop so long."
"Oh, if I had made up my mind to deceive her," thought Nelly, "how I should feel!"
"But now I must buy something, or I shall be breaking your rules," continued the old gentleman. "Nelly says you do not allow your girls to have visitors in the shop; so I have no choice but to become a customer."
"I have been obliged to make such a rule," said Mrs. Kirkland. "It may seem rather hard, and of course it does not apply to you; but I have had so much trouble that I found it the best way to forbid all visiting in business hours."
"Quite right. Idle people are a great trouble to busy ones, and they are always in mischief;—eh, Nelly? But come; show me some of those beautiful, useless little work-boxes. I must buy my daughter a Christmas present, I suppose; and the more senseless it is, the better she will like it, of course. That's the way with girls;—eh, Nelly?"
Mr. Grayson made a great deal of talk about the work-boxes, trying to beat Nelly down in the price, and ended by buying the most expensive of the whole,—as well as the very pearl fan Nelly had saved from being stolen. Then, bidding her come to his office when she went home, and he would send granny some more tobacco, he took his leave. He was no sooner gone than Nelly hastened to tell Mrs. Kirkland the whole story.
"You see now, Nelly, the use of the rule I made about visitors," said Mrs. Kirkland. "You say you could not help Kitty's going behind the counter, and I dare say that is true; but she has done the mischief, and might have done a great deal more, and you are responsible."
"Yes, I know," said Nelly: "it will have to come out of my wages, of course. I was afraid you would send me away, as you did Miss Lennox."