and it did not seem to them
that any one whom they would care to know would be willing to occupy a
house so pronounced in vulgar display. They were people whose society no
money could buy. If Robert Belcher had been worth a hundred millions
instead of one, the fact would not have been taken into consideration in
deciding any social question relating to him.

Finally the furnishing was complete; the windows were polished, the
steps were furbished, and nothing seemed to wait but the arrival of the
family for which the dwelling had been prepared.

One late afternoon, before the lamps were lighted in the streets, he
could see that the house was illuminated; and just as the darkness came
on, a carriage drove up and a family alighted. The doors were thrown
open, the beautiful woman stood upon the threshold, and all ran up to
enter. She kissed the lady of the house, kissed the children, shook
hands cordially with the gentleman of the party, and then the doors were
swung to, and they were shut from the sight of the street; but just as
the man entered, the light from the hall and the light from the street
revealed the flushed face and portly figure of Robert Belcher.

Harry knew him, and ran down stairs to Mrs. Balfour, pale and agitated
as if he had seen a ghost. "It is Mr. Belcher," he said, "and I must go
back. I know he'll find me; I must go back to-morrow."

It was a long time before the family could pacify him and assure him of
their power to protect him; but they did it at last, though they left
him haunted with the thought that he might be exposed at any moment to
the new companions of his life as a pauper and the son of a pauper. The
great humiliation had been burned into his soul. The petty tyrannies of
Tom Buffum had cowed him, so that it would be difficult for him ever to
emerge from their influence into a perfectly free boyhood and manhood.
Had they been continued long enough, they would have ruined him. Once he
had been entirely in the power of adverse circumstances and a brutal
will, and he was almost incurably wounded.

The opposite side of the street presented very different scenes. Mrs.
Belcher found, through the neighborly services of Mrs. Dillingham, that
her home was all prepared for her, even to the selection and engagement
of her domestic service. A splendid dinner was ready to be served, for
which Mr. Belcher, who had been in constant communication with his
convenient and most officious friend, had br