Tom was very much incensed at this remark, being aggrieved by the fact that Herbert received more than he.
"I didn"t mean that," said he. "Of course, if Mr. G.o.dfrey chooses to give away money in charity, it is none of my business. I don"t need any charity"
"Mr. G.o.dfrey pays me for my services," said Herbert. "If he pays me too liberally now, I hope to make it up to him afterward."
"You seemed to be very intimate with Julia G.o.dfrey last evening," said Tom, unpleasantly.
"I found her very pleasant."
"Yes; she is very kind to take notice of you."
"I suppose the notice you have taken of me this morning is meant in kindness," said Herbert, thinking his cousin very disagreeable.
"Yes, of course, being in the same counting-room, I think it right to take some notice of you," said Tom, condescendingly.
"I am very much obliged to you," said Herbert, sarcastically.
"But there"s one piece of advice I should like to give you," proceeded Tom.
"What is that?" inquired Herbert, looking his cousin in the face.
"Don"t feel too much set up by Julia G.o.dfrey"s notice. She only took notice of you out of pity, and to encourage you. If you had been in her own position in society--"
"Like you, for instance!"
"Yes, like me," said Tom, complacently, "she would have been more ceremonious. I thought I would just mention it to you, Mason, or you might not understand it."
It was only natural that Herbert should be provoked by this elaborate humiliation suggested by Tom, and his cousin"s offensive a.s.sumption of superiority. This led him to a retort in kind.
"I suppose that is the reason she took so little notice of you," he said.
Tom was nettled at this statement of a fact, but he answered in an off- hand manner, "Oh, Julia and I are old friends. I"ve danced with her frequently at dancing school."
Herbert happened to remember what Julia had said of his cousin, and was rather amused at this a.s.sumption of intimacy.
"I am much obliged to you for your information," said Herbert, "though I am rather surprised that you should take so great an interest in my affairs."
"Oh, you"re new in the city, and I know all the ropes," said Tom. "I thought I might as well give you a friendly hint."
"I am lucky in having such a friend," said Herbert, "and will take the advice as it was given."
Here the bookkeeper entered, and, soon after, Mr. G.o.dfrey made his appearance.
"I hope you had a pleasant evening, Herbert," he said, kindly.
"Very pleasant, sir; thank you," said Herbert, in a very different tone from the one he had used in addressing Tom.
"I believe I saw you, also, at the concert, Thomas," said Mr. G.o.dfrey.
"Yes, sir," said Tom. "I am very fond of music, and attend all the first-cla.s.s musical entertainments"
"Indeed?" said Mr. G.o.dfrey, but this was all the reply he made.
"My daughter insists that I shall invite you to the house again soon,"
said Mr. G.o.dfrey, again addressing Herbert.
"I am very much obliged to her, and to you, sir," said Herbert, modestly. "I shall be very glad to come."
Tom"s face darkened, as he heard this. He would have given considerable to receive such an invitation himself, but the prospect did not seem very promising.
"Mr. G.o.dfrey must he infatuated," he said to himself, impatiently, "to invite such a beggar to his house. Mason ought to have good sense enough to feel that he is out of place in such a house. I wouldn"t accept any invitation given out of pity."
"I wonder why Tom dislikes me so much?" thought Herbert. "He certainly takes pains enough to show his feeling. Would it be different, I wonder, if he knew that I was his cousin?"
Herbert thought of mentioning to Mr. G.o.dfrey that he had recovered three-quarters of the money of which he had been robbed. It would have been well if he had done so, but Mr. G.o.dfrey seemed particularly engaged, and he thought it best not to interrupt him.
CHAPTER x.x.x
AN UNEXPECTED BLOW
Herbert felt happier than usual. He had recovered the greater part of his money, and thus was relieved from various inconveniences which had resulted from his straitened circ.u.mstances, He was the more elated at this, as it had seemed extremely improbable that the lost money would ever have found its way back to the pocket of its rightful owner. Then, he had a good place, and a salary sufficient to defray his modest expenses, and the prospect of promotion, if he should be faithful to the interests of his employer, as he firmly intended to be. It was agreeable, also, to reflect that he was in favor with Mr. G.o.dfrey, who had thus far treated him with as much kindness as if he had been his own son.
There was, to be sure, the drawback of Tom"s enmity, but, as there was no good reason for this, he would not allow it to trouble him much, though, of course, it would have been more agreeable if all in the office had been his friends. He determined to take an early opportunity to write to his good friend, Dr. Kent, an account of his present position. He would have done so before, but had hesitated from the fear that in some way the intelligence would reach Abner Holden, whom he preferred to leave in ignorance of all that concerned him.
These thoughts pa.s.sed through Herbert"s mind as he went about his daily work. Meanwhile, a painful experience awaited him, for which he was not in the least prepared.
About one o"clock a gentleman entered the counting-room hastily, and said, "Mr. G.o.dfrey, I wonder whether I happened to leave my pocketbook anywhere about your office when I was here an hour ago?"
"I don"t think so. When did you miss it?"
"A few minutes since. I went to a restaurant to get a lunch, and, on finishing it, felt for my pocketbook, and found it gone."
"Was there much in it?"
"No sum of any consequence. Between twenty and thirty dollars, I believe. There were, however, some papers of value, which I shall be sorry to lose."
"I hardly think you could have left it here. However, I will inquire.
Mr. Pratt, have you seen anything of Mr. Walton"s pocketbook?"
"No, sir," said the bookkeeper, promptly.
"Herbert, have you seen it?"
"No, sir," said our hero.