"All very fair and honest, my young friend, on your part, but very rascally and mean on mine if you don't allow me to pay my just dues. I have as yet done nothing more, but there is a great debt on my part which remains uncancelled. As you have been the means of saving me from the loss of my entire fortune, you may at least allow me the privilege of being grateful. But," added the gentleman, pitying the embarrassment of the youth, "we will talk of that some other time."
They then joined the circle where Mr. Clarkson, with Ella standing close at his side, her earnest eyes fixed upon his face, was giving the ladies an account of Harrison's confidential visit to himself.
"When he mentioned Mr. Kilby's name," he resumed, "I started to leave the room in search of the gentleman, who had arrived that very day, and who, I thought, must be somewhere about the house; but I feared that his presence might be a constraint upon the lad. When he had advanced still further in his story, I left the room to request the gentleman not to leave the hotel. After Harrison had expressed his willingness to go before a magistrate, I sent the secret partner on before, that he might be present during the interview, only saying to him that some wonderful revelations were to be made concerning the firm of Grant & Company."
"I had already entertained some suspicions that all was not right," added Mr. Kilby, "and had come on from the West with the intention of examining the books for myself. Probably had it not been for my young friend here, I should have taken the new set of books as presumptive proof that all was right. It has been a good lesson to me; and for the future I shall keep my business in my own hands."
The gentlemen then rose to take their leave; but before they went, Mr. Kilby had obtained Mrs. Danforth's consent for her son to accompany him to Saratoga early in the following week.
Mrs. Haven and Ella begged Mrs. Danforth to remain at the cottage while he was absent, the little girl pleading that it was so long since she had seen her old nurse that she wished to renew the acquaintance.
Mrs. Danforth smiled as she saw Ella whispering earnestly to Harrison that he must go back at once and bring his mother's work so that she would be contented to stay. It would be necessary also for him to make some purchases before his anticipated tour; and so, with Mrs. Haven's consent, Ella walked with him to the city to obtain the clothes which his mother needed, and make other arrangements for leaving home. He confessed to his young friend that he did not like to carry so much money about with him, and that he meant to get Mr. Cowles to deposit the most of it in a bank at once. They then proceeded to the store of a merchant tailor, where Ella gravely gave her opinion as to the fit of coats, and also as to the comparative beauty of different patterns of cravats,—the young clerk being delighted to see that, with additional experience and advance in age, her taste had improved, so that no longer as formerly did she choose the most showy colors. Plain black cravats were his preference; but, to gratify Ella, he took also one with a fine check of green and black, which she rapturously pronounced "a real beauty."
The purchases being most satisfactorily completed, the young people returned to the cottage,—rather warm and weary to be sure, but full of enthusiasm in regard to their walk.
Here, too, a pleasant surprise awaited them; for it appeared to give Ella equal pleasure as her young friend. In their absence a small parcel had arrived directed to Mr., not Master, Harrison Danforth, Vine Cottage.
"Guess before you open it," shouted the excited girl. "Let us all guess what it is."