Mr. Hamilton, taking the
offered hand. "I mean to come down here every year."

"My son keeps the Island Hotel," insinuated the squire. "He don't make
quite so much show as Bennington, but he will take good care of you, and
feed you better. Folks that know say he keeps the best house. And
Bennington has raised his price to three dollars a day; the Island
Hotel is only two."

Moses Wormbury considered the last argument as by far the most powerful
one he could present. How any man could help wishing to save a dollar a
day on his board, was more than the squire was able to comprehend.

"I have already spoken for rooms at the Sea Cliff House, and they have
made fires in them for us," replied Mr. Hamilton, unmoved by the old
man's powerful appeal.

"Ethan will give you a fire, and not charge you anything extra for it,
as they do at Bennington's," added the squire. "He can accommodate the
whole party if you will sleep two in a bed. You will save at least
fifteen dollars a day by going to the Island Hotel."

"As we have spoken for rooms at the Sea Cliff House, I think we ought to
go there," answered the New Yorker, rather coldly, unmoved by the
economical considerations of the squire.

"Stage all ready, Mr. Hamilton," interposed Leopold, who had listened
with painful anxiety to a portion of the old man's arguments.

The "stage" was a long wagon, like an omnibus, but with no top; and
Ethan saw, with an aching and an angry heart, the entire party of
fifteen crowd into this vehicle. Squire Moses was not only vexed, he was
downright mad. At any time it would have annoyed him, as well as Ethan,
to see fifteen "arrivals" go to the "other house," and not a single one
to the Island Hotel. To the old man it was doubly grievous at the
present time, for every day the party staid at the Sea Cliff House would
put at least forty-five dollars into the pocket of its landlord; and he
was afraid Mr. Bennington would be able to pay his interest money on the
day it was due. He wanted the new hotel for his son, if he could get it
cheap enough, that is, for one third or one half of its value. This
dawning of prosperity upon the Sea Cliff was, therefore, very unwelcome
to the squire and his son.

Leopold leaped upon the box with the driver as soon as the passengers
were all seated, and the two horses tugged up the steep hill from the
wharf with the heavy load. On the level road above, the excited teamster
put the whip upon his horses, and d