him credit
for that; too honest, it may be, for his own good. But, I don't know.
Who would not rather be in his shoes than in Parker's?"

For some time Jasper's mind was favourable to making Claire the offer
proposed, and he was about writing him a note, when a new view of the
case struck him, dependent on the young man's relation to his ward,
Fanny Elder.

"Oh no, no, no!" said he emphatically, speaking to himself--"that,
I fear me, will not do. It would give him too open an access to
my books, papers, and private accounts, in which are entries and
memoranda that it might be dangerous for him to see."

Jasper sighed deeply as he finished this sentence, and then fell into
a musing state. His thoughts, while this lasted, were not of the most
self-satisfying character. Some serious doubts as to his having, in
the main, pursued the wisest course in life, were injected into his
mind; and, remarkable as it may seem for one so absorbed in the love
of gain, there were moments when he almost envied the poor, but honest
clerk, who had an approving conscience, and feared no man's scrutiny.

It was with no slight reluctance that he finally came to the
conclusion that it would be altogether unsafe to take Claire into his
employment. And so he cast about for some one to supply the place
left vacant by Parker's withdrawal from the business. In his final
selection he was not over-fortunate, as the result proved. The new
clerk was shrewd, and capable enough, and apparently as much devoted
to his employer's interests as Jasper could wish. Had not his own
interests been regarded as paramount to those of the merchant, Jasper
would have possessed in him a valuable assistant. But the clerk
did not rise superior to temptations which came in his way.
Jasper continued to trade on the close-cutting, overreaching, and
unscrupulous system; and under such a teacher his clerk proved an apt
learner.

"He cuts right and left," said he to himself, "and why may not I cut
left and right when a good opportunity offers?"

Soon he began to "cut left and right," as he termed it, and it was not
remarkable that, in his cutting operations, his employer occasionally
suffered. The upshot was, after holding his situation a year, that
several false entries, in his hand-writing, were discovered in the
books of Mr. Jasper. To what extent he robbed his employer, the latter
never accurately knew; but he was worse off by at least three or four
thousand dollars