“It will not, Tom,” I added, solemnly. “I am grateful to God for His mercy in sparing me from the consequences of my errors; and I promise you that I will try to be faithful to Him and to my fellow-creatures.”
Before I could fully comprehend his purpose, Tom had gently drawn me upon my knees at his side, on the floor, and there he prayed for me more earnestly than I could have uttered the petition for myself. I felt better. The prayer did me good. We talked for half an hour of the religious aspect of my case, and I came to believe that I was a true convert.
“How did they explain my absence?” I asked, as we rose to join our wives.
“Your wife’s mother said you had gone to New Orleans to take a situation in a banking office. Your uncle sent a messenger there to find you. We all supposed you were there till I received your letter. I showed it to Captain Halliard, and explained my plan to him. He approved it, for the executor is waiting for you to claim your aunt’s property.”
“I must return immediately.”
“No; I am going to stay over here two or three months, for I have given up my place in the bank.”
“What is that for?”
“I have a chance to go into business in the spring. My old employer in the dry goods business wants to sell out to me for forty thousand dollars. If you will go in with me, with a part of your capital, we can make a good thing of it.”
“Will you trust me, Tom?” I inquired, wondering at the confidence he proposed to give me, after what I had done.
“Paley, I believe your repentance is sincere; and believing so, I think you are not so likely to go astray as you would be if you had had no bitter experience to remind you that the way of the transgressor is hard.”