im that the appointment to the office here would only
be temporary, and to see how he got on in it?"

"Certainly not."

"Then, my dear sir, I'm not surprised that Charley rebels. You have
left him to suppose that, once placed at the desk here, he is a prisoner
for life. But see, there he is," said Mr Grant, pointing as he spoke
towards the subject of their conversation, who was passing the window at
the moment; "let me call him, and I feel certain that he will listen to
reason in a few minutes."

"Humph!" ejaculated Mr Kennedy, "you may try."

In another minute Charley had been summoned, and was seated, cap in
hand, near the door.

"Charley, my boy," began Mr Grant, standing with his back to the fire,
his feet pretty wide apart, and his coat-tails under his arms--"Charley,
my boy, your father has just been speaking of you. He is very anxious
that you should enter the service of the Hudson's Bay Company; and as
you are a clever boy and a good penman, we think that you would be
likely to get on if placed for a year or so in our office here. I need
scarcely point out to you, my boy, that in such a position you would be
sure to obtain more rapid promotion than if you were placed in one of
the distant outposts, where you would have very little to do, and
perhaps little to eat, and no one to converse with except one or two
men. Of course, we would merely place you here on trial, to see how you
suited us; and if you prove steady and diligent, there is no saying how
fast you might get on. Why, you might even come to fill _my_ place in
course of time. Come now, Charley, what think you of it?"

Charley's eyes had been cast on the ground while Mr Grant was speaking.
He now raised them, looked at his father, then at his interrogator, and
said--

"It is very kind of you both to be so anxious about my prospects. I
thank you, indeed, very much; but I--a--"

"Don't like the desk?" said his father, in an angry tone. "Is that it,
eh?"

Charley made no reply, but cast down his eyes again and smiled (Charley
had a sweet smile, a peculiarly sweet, candid smile), as if he meant to
say that his father had hit the nail quite on the top of the head that
time, and no mistake.

"But consider," resumed Mr Grant, "although you might probably be
pleased with an outpost life at first, you would be sure to grow weary
of it after the novelty wore off, and then you would wish with all your
heart to be back here again. Believe me,