"She came at her mother's request to solicit my influence with Mr. C——, who is in want of a French teacher. She said that their circumstances were very much changed since her father's death and that it had become necessary for her to do something as a means of supporting the family. The salary given by Mr. C—— to his French teacher is five hundred dollars. I really pitied the young thing from my heart. Think of our Mary, in two or three years from this, when, if ever, a cloudless sky should bend over her, going to some old friend of her father's, and almost tearfully soliciting him to beg for her, of another, the privilege of toiling for bread. It made my heart ache."
"She must be very young," remarked Mrs. Burgess.
"Not over eighteen or nineteen."
"Poor thing! What a sad, sad change she must feel it to be! But did you call upon Mr. C——?"
A slight shade passed over the countenance of Paul.
"Not yet," he replied.
"Oh, you ought to have gone at once."
"I know. I was going as soon as Lucy left, but I thought I would attend to a little business down town first, and go to Mr. C——'s immediately on my return. When I came back, I thought I would look over the newspaper a little; I wanted to see what had been said in Congress on the tariff question, which is now the all-absorbing topic. I became so much interested in the remarks of one of the members, that I forgot all about Lucy Ellison until I was called off by a customer, who occupied me until dinner-time. But I will certainly attend to it this afternoon."
"Do, by all means. There should not be a moment's delay, for Mr. C—— may supply himself with a teacher."
"Very true. If that were to happen through my neglect, I should never forgive myself."