e an honest blunder, though it is a very stupid one."

"Certainly the lumber included in those invoices you brought down from
your rooms was never entered in the lumber book."

"Confound the lumber book! Never mention the thing again to me! I have
told you that no reliance whatever can be placed upon it. I can
convince you of your mistake in one hour."

"I shall be very glad to be convinced."

"But we haven't the hour now to look up the matter. I will explain it
all to you this afternoon, and then, if you are not satisfied, I will
let you go, and pay you a year's salary, besides."

"I only want to know what became of the lumber billed to the firm in
those invoices," I answered, not at all satisfied with his proposition.

"I will show you this afternoon. Now, go up to Mr. Collingsby's and do
my errand. The firm may lose a good bargain, if I miss this trade."

I concluded to go to the senior partner's. I inquired particularly in
regard to the lumber Mr. Whippleton purposed to buy, but all the junior
said assured me that he was preparing for another movement. I took the
list, and a memorandum of the cash balance in the bank, and left the
office. Somehow, in spite of myself, I felt guilty. Even my resolve to
leave the service of the firm did not satisfy me. It would only leave
the senior partner to be swindled still more. I hastened to the house
of Mr. Collingsby, which I had never entered. I rang the bell, and was
admitted to the entry, where I was required to wait till the senior
partner could be informed of my desire to see him.

"It's a magnificent day to sail," said a gentleman in the parlor, near
the door of which I stood.

I recognized the voice of Mr. Waterford, the owner of the yacht which
was the twin sister of the Florina. He was generally called, by those
who knew him, Ben Waterford. He was reputed to have made a fortune in
real estate speculations, and was a young man of fine personal
appearance. I had often seen him when out sailing with Mr. Whippleton.
My own impression was not very favorable; for I regarded him as not
only rather fast, but as lacking in moral principle. As he spoke he
walked towards the door, and I saw that he was with a young lady of
seventeen or eighteen, a very beautiful and a very elegant girl in
style and manner.

"I should be delighted to go," said she; "but you give me very short
notice. You wish to leave in an hour."

"Of course we will wait till you are ready, Miss Colli