cents to be shaved; it's silly
and ridiculous, to say nothing of leaving the office for half an hour.
You did wrong, and you ought to acknowledge it."

"Mother, I'm tired of this kind of a life."

"So am I; but we cannot starve," replied the poor woman, bitterly. "It
is harder for me than for you, for I was brought up in plenty and
luxury, and never knew what it was to want for anything till your
father spent all my property, and then became a burden upon me. You
have been a good boy, Fitzherbert, and I hope you will not disappoint
me now."

"I shall do everything I can for you, mother, of course; but it is hard
to be ground down by _that_ man, as I am."

The young gentleman said _that_ man with an emphasis which meant
something.

"I cannot help it," sighed the mother.

"Yes, you can. In my opinion,--and I think I understand the matter as
well as any other man,--in my opinion, Mr. Checkynshaw owes you fifty
thousand dollars, and is keeping you out of your just due. That's what
galls me," added Fitz, rapping the table violently with his fist.

"It may be and it may not be. I don't know."

"I know! That man is not an honest man. I know something about his
affairs, and if he presumes to discharge me, I shall devote some of my
valuable time to the duty of ventilating them."

"Don't you do any such thing, Fitz."

"I will, mother! I will find out whether the money belongs to you or
not," added the young man, decidedly. "I have my private opinion about
the matter. I know enough about Checkynshaw to feel certain that he
wouldn't let fifty thousand dollars slip through his fingers, if by any
trickery he could hold on to it. If he has a daughter in France,
fifteen years old, as she must be, wouldn't she write to him? Wouldn't
he write to her? Wouldn't he go and see her? Wouldn't he send her
money? She don't do it; he don't do it. I do all the post-office
business for the firm, and no such letters go or come."

Mr. Wittleworth was very decided in his "private opinion;" but at last
he so far yielded to the entreaties of his mother as to consent to
return to the office, and if Mr. Checkynshaw wasn't savage, he would
apologize. This he regarded as a great concession, very humiliating,
and to be made only to please his mother.

CHAPTER III.

MR. CHECKYNSHAW IS VIOLENT.

MR. Fitzherbert Wittleworth walked slowly and nervously from his home
to the banking-house in State Street. The situation was just as far
fr