hem
as he continued to offer them.

She soon discovered that he was the only person in Plainton who knew her
real fortune, and this was a bond of sympathy and union between them,
and she became aware that she had succeeded in impressing him with her
desire to live upon her fortune in such a manner that it would not
interfere with her friendships or associations, and her lifelong ideas
of comfort and pleasure.

The people of the town talked a great deal about the fine gentleman at
the hotel, but they knew he was one of the people who had become rich in
consequence of Captain Horn's discovery; and some of them, good friends
of Mrs. Cliff, felt sorry that she had not profited to as great a degree
by that division as this gentleman of opulent taste, who occupied two of
the best rooms in the hotel, and obliged Mr. Williams to send to
Harrington, and even to Boston, for provisions suitable to his epicurean
tastes, and who drove around the country with a carriage and pair at
least once a day.

When Burke was ready to make his suggestions, he thought he would begin
in a mild fashion, and see how Mrs. Cliff would take them.

"If I was in your place, madam," said he, "the first thing I would do
would be to have a lot of servants. There's nothin' money can give a
person that's better than plenty of people to do things. Lots of them on
hand all the time, like the crew of a ship."

"But I couldn't do that, Mr. Burke," said she; "my house is too small. I
haven't any place for servants to sleep. When I enlarge my house, of
course, I may have more servants."

"Oh, I wouldn't wait for that," said he; "until then you could board
them at the hotel."

This suggestion was strongly backed by Willy Croup, and Mrs. Cliff took
the matter to heart. She collected together a domestic establishment of
as many servants as she thought her establishment could possibly provide
with work, and, although she did not send them to be guests at the
hotel, she obtained lodging for them at the house of a poor woman in the
neighborhood.

When she had done this, she felt that she had made a step in the
direction of doing her duty by her money.

Mr. Burke made another suggestion. "If I was you," said he, "I wouldn't
wait for times or seasons, for in these days people build in winter the
same as in summer. I would put up that addition just as soon as it could
be done."

Mrs. Cliff sighed. "I suppose that's what I should do," said she. "I
feel that it