"tell robert raymond that i wish to speak to him," said paul morton, to a servant who answered his bell.
"yes, sir."
in five minutes robert entered his presence. the boy was clad in a suit of black, and his face was grave and sad. the death of his father, his only relation of whom he had any knowledge, had weighed heavily upon his feelings, and he moved about the house in a listless way, with little appetite or spirit.
"you sent for me, sir?" he said interrogatively, as he entered.
"yes, robert, take a seat. i wish to speak to you," said his guardian.
the boy obeyed, and looked inquiringly in the face of paul morton to see what he had to communicate.
"it is desirable," he said, "that we should speak together of your future arrangements. it is for that purpose i have sent for you this morning."
[pg 74]
"i suppose i shall go back to the school where my father placed me," said robert.
"ahem!" said his guardian, "that we can settle presently. i have not yet decided upon that point."
"it is a very good school, sir. i think it was my father's intention that i should remain there for at least two years longer."
"he never spoke to me on that subject. he thought it would be safe to trust to my judgment in the matter."
"then i am not to go back?" said robert, in some disappointment.
"i do not say that. i only say that i have not yet decided upon that point. even if you go back you need not go at once."
"i shall fall behind my class," said robert.
"you are young yet, and there is no hurry. for the present i have another plan in view for you."
"what is it, mr. morton?"
"come here a minute. i want you to look at some views i have here."
in some surprise the boy came to his side; for the remark seemed to have no connection with the plan his guardian had referred to just now.
mr. morton drew from a drawer in his desk[pg 75] a collection of views of niagara falls, and spread them before his ward.
"have you ever visited niagara, robert?" he asked.
"no, sir."
"here are some views of the cataract. it is a beautiful sight."
"oh, yes, sir," said robert; "i have heard a great deal of it, and i have often thought i should like to see it."
"well, your wish is likely to be gratified," said his guardian.
"do you mean to let me visit it, then?" asked the boy, looking up with eager and animated inquiry.
"yes; i have observed that your father's death has naturally weighed upon your mind, and depressed your spirits. if you should go back to school now, you would not be in a fitting frame to resume your studies. i think a little change and variety would do you good. for this reason i intend to let you go on a journey, not only to niagara, but still farther west."
"you are very kind, mr. morton," said robert; "but," he added, with momentary hesitation, "would it be quite right for me to go on a [pg 76]pleasure excursion so soon after the death of my poor father?"
"your father would, i am sure, approve it," said his guardian. "because your mind is diverted by pleasant scenery, it will not follow that you have forgotten your father."
"no, i shall never forget him as long as i live."
"so you see there is no objection on that score."
"are you going with me, mr. morton?" asked robert, suddenly.
"no, i am unable to leave my business for so long."
"am i going alone?"
"no, you are too young for that. i have a friend," mr. morton was about to say; but after a pause he said, "acquaintance, who is to start at once on a trip to the west, and i shall place you under his charge."
"who is it, sir?"
"a young man named cromwell."
"how soon are we to start?"
"probably in a day or two. you can look over your wardrobe, and see if you need any new clothes, and can get them before you leave new york."
"yes, sir."
[pg 77]
robert left his guardian's presence in better spirits than he had entered. the prospect of a journey was very agreeable, for he had all a boy's love of new scenes, and it added to his pleasure, though he hardly admitted it to himself, that his guardian was not able to accompany him. he hardly knew why it was, but, although he had been told that mr. morton was his father's intimate friend, and had no reason to doubt the truth of this statement, he found it impossible to like him. indeed, there was a half feeling of repugnance which he was dimly conscious of, and had tried to overcome, but without success. this feeling was not so strange as it appeared to him. it was the natural repugnance of a frank and innocent boy to the double dealing and false nature of a selfish man of the world.
shortly after robert left the presence of his guardian, james cromwell was once more ushered into it.
he was no longer the threadbare clerk, but had provided himself with a new suit of clothes, which looked, indeed, better than his former array; but no clothing, however costly, could change the appearance of his mean and insignificant features, and give him the air of a gentleman.
[pg 78]
"i have waited upon you early, mr. morton," he said.
"not too early," answered the merchant. "indeed, i may say that i am anxious to complete our arrangements, and put the boy under your care as soon as possible. the fact is, that with my business cares the additional burden of a ward is not very welcome. if it had not been the son of my intimate friend, i might have declined the trust; but under the circumstances i did not think i ought to do so."
james cromwell listened to this statement from the lips of his employer in silence. it is needless to say that he did not believe one word of it; but it was for his interest now to appear to credit whatever mr. morton chose to say, and he accordingly did not think it politic to indicate in any way his real feelings.
"yes, it is a great care in addition to by business responsibilities," proceeded the merchant; "but i shall feel in a great measure relieved when robert is once placed under your charge."
"does he know that he is going with me?" inquired cromwell.
"i have just had an interview with him. he has been at a boarding-school on the hudson[pg 79] river, and he supposed he was going back. when i told him that i had another plan for him, he was at first disappointed."
"did you tell him what the plan was?"
"not precisely. i showed him some views of niagara falls, and asked him if he would like to visit the cataract. he said that he would. i then told him that previous to his going back to school i intended to let him have a little journey,—visiting the falls, and going as far as indiana. he was pleased with this prospect."
"does he know he is going with me?"
"i mentioned that i had asked an acquaintance of mine to take charge of him. i shall introduce you as that acquaintance."
"you intend then, mr. morton, that we shall take niagara falls on the way?" said james cromwell.
"yes; i think it will be a pleasant arrangement for you, no doubt, if you have never seen the falls."
"no, i have never seen them."
"and besides, it will make the journey seem more plausible to robert. he need not know until you get to your journey's end that he is not coming back."
[pg 80]
"how shall it be communicated to him?"
"i think i will give you a letter to him which you can let him read when the proper time comes."
"when do you wish me to start?"
"as soon as possible—day after to-morrow. you can be ready, can you not?"
"i can be ready at any time. i have very few arrangements to make."
"i should like to show you some views of niagara, which i have here, mr. cromwell," said paul morton. "will you step to the table?"
the clerk left his seat, and advanced to the side of the merchant's chair.
"there," said paul morton, looking over the views, and selecting one, "is a view of goat island. you will no doubt visit that?"
"yes, sir; we will try to see all that is worth seeing."
"i think," said paul morton, slowly, "i have heard of a man—or a boy—who was standing here one day, and chanced to lose his footing, and fell over the cataract. horrible, was it not?"
he looked significantly in the face of his companion. james cromwell's face grew pale, as he comprehended the infernal meaning of this speech, and he echoed the word "horrible."
[pg 81]
"i just mentioned it," said the merchant, "for boys are apt to be careless, and it occurred to me that perhaps robert might be in danger of a similar accident."
