s old enough to work if
you watch him; and now he's here I don't deny but what you had the
rights of it 'bout my needing an assistant. He takes hold handy if you
show him how, and is willing and steady. But two on 'em--I don't know;"
he shook his head dubiously; "a growing boy and girl to feed and train
and clothe--seems as if--" Octavius paused in the middle of his
sentence. He knew his ground, or thought he knew it.

"You said yourself she was small and thin, and I can give her work
enough to offset her board. Of course, she will have to go to school,
but the tuition is free; and if I pay school taxes, that are increasing
every year, I might as well have the benefit of them, if I can, in my
own household."

There seemed no refutation needed to meet such an argument, and Octavius
retreated another step towards the door.

"A moment more, Octavius," she said blandly, for she knew he was longing
to rid her of his presence; "Mr. Emlie has been here this evening and
drawn up the deeds conveying my north shore property to the New York
syndicate. Mr. Van Ostend has conducted all the negotiations at that
end, and I have agreed to the erection of the granite sheds on those
particular sites and to the extension of a railroad for the quarries
around the head of the lake to The Corners. The syndicate are to control
all the quarry interests, and Mr. Van Ostend says in a few years they
will assume vast proportions, entailing an outlay of at least three
millions. They say there is to be a large electric plant at The Corners,
for the mill company have sold them the entire water power at the
falls.--I hope Aurora is satisfied with what she has accomplished in so
short a time. Champney, I suppose, comes home next month?"

Octavius merely nodded, and withdrew in haste lest his indignation get
the upper hand of his discretion. It behooved him to be discreet at this
juncture; he must not injure Aurora Googe's cause, which he deemed as
righteous a one as ever the sun shone upon, by any injudicious word that
might avow his partisanship.

Mrs. Champney smiled again when she saw his precipitous retreat. She had
freighted every word with ill will, and knew how to raise his silent
resentment to the boiling point. She rose and stepped quickly into the
hall.

"Tavy," she called after him as he was closing the door into the back
passage. He turned to look at her; she stood in the full light of the
hall-lamp. "Just a moment before you go. Did