hes to ask you some questions, and it is your duty
to answer them," said Mrs. Wittleworth, a little encouraged by the more
hopeful aspect of her belligerent son.

"Ask away," replied Fitz, settling himself into a chair, and fixing his
gaze upon the stove.

"Do you know Pilky Wayne?" asked the banker, who had a certain
undefined fear of Fitz since the robbery, which, however, the immensity
of his dignity prevented him from exposing.

"Know who?" demanded Fitz, looking up.

"Pilky Wayne."

"Never heard of him before."

"Yes, you have; you made an arrangement with him to rob my safe,"
continued the banker, who could not help browbeating his inferior.

"Did I? Well, if I did, I did," answered Fitz, shaking his head. "What
do you think my friend Choate would say to that?"

"He would say you were a silly fellow," interposed Mrs. Wittleworth.
"Don't be impudent, Fitz."

"Well, I won't be impudent!" said Fitz, with a kind of suppressed
chuckle.

"There were, or you thought there were, certain papers in my safe which
might be useful to you," added Mr. Checkynshaw.

"I don't believe there were any letters from my cousin Marguerite among
them," replied Fitz, with a sneering laugh. "Marguerite must be able to
write very pretty letters by this time."

"Be still, Fitz," pleaded Mrs. Wittleworth.

"Fitz, I don't want to quarrel with you," continued Mr. Checkynshaw, in
the most pliable tones Fitz had ever heard the banker use to him.

"I thought you did. Accusing a gentleman of robbing your safe is not
exactly the way to make friends with him," said Fitz, so much
astonished at the great man's change of tone that he hardly knew what
to say.

"I accuse you of nothing. Fitz, if you want your place in my office
again, you can return to-morrow morning."

Mr. Wittleworth looked at his disconsolate mother. A gleam of triumph
rested on his face. The banker, the head and front of the great house
of Checkynshaw, Hart, & Co., had fully and directly recognized the
value of his services; had fairly "backed out," and actually entreated
him to return, and fill the vacant place, which no other person was
competent to fill! That was glory enough for one day. But he concluded
that it would be better for the banker to come down a peg farther, and
apologize for his abusive treatment of his confidential clerk.

"Certainly he will be glad to take the place again, sir," said Mrs.
Wittleworth, who was anxious to help along the negotiatio