gilbert did not lose sight of the little flower-girl whom he had befriended. even when his fortunes were at the lowest, he never failed to buy a bouquet of her daily. more than this he did not feel able to do then. but as soon as he obtained the position of fred’s teacher, he again visited mr. talbot in his poor lodgings, and gave him more substantial assistance. the sick man improved steadily in health and spirits. it did him great good to feel that he had a friend, though that friend was only a boy, dependent on his earnings for support.
on the day after he had heard of mr. briggs’ return from europe, gilbert made a hurried call during his dinner-hour.
“how are you to-day, mr. talbot?” he asked.
329“i am better,” said the sick man. “i hope i shall soon be well enough to go to work again.”
“i think you will,” said gilbert, cheerfully. “i must try to see what i can find for you to do, among my business friends.”
“thank you; do you know many business men?”
“no,” answered gilbert. “i wonder,” he said, half to himself, “whether my guardian couldn’t give you work.”
“your guardian!” repeated mr. talbot, in surprise.
“yes,” said gilbert, smiling; “but you mustn’t think because i have a guardian that i have any property.”
“who is your guardian?”
“mr. richard briggs, a new york merchant. he only got home from europe yesterday.”
“richard briggs!” exclaimed the sick man in evident excitement.
“yes; do you know anything of him?”
“his name is very familiar to me. tell me, are 330you the son of james greyson, formerly a merchant in the west indies?”
it was gilbert’s turn to be excited.
“my father died in the west indies,” he answered; “but i know very little of him. did you know him, mr. talbot?”
“i ought to know him. i was his book-keeper up to the time of his death.”
“is it possible?” ejaculated gilbert. “how glad i am to meet you! i know nothing of my father except what mr. briggs has told me.”
“one thing i do not understand,” continued the sick man. “you say you have no property; but this cannot be. your father left seventy-five thousand dollars.”
“seventy-five thousand dollars! are you sure, mr. talbot?”
“no one can be surer. i knew all about your father’s business and the extent of his property.”
“was this money entrusted to my guardian?” asked gilbert, quickly.
“it was. your father and richard briggs were 331schoolmates, so i have heard him say; and he felt sufficient confidence in him to confide you to his care.”
it is not a pleasant moment when for the first time we are led to suspect those in whom we have confided; and important and welcome as the intelligence otherwise was, gilbert felt sober at the treachery of mr. briggs. the latter, as we have seen, had been kinder to him than his wife or son, and gilbert had felt grateful. even now he could not rid himself of a certain feeling of kindness to his guardian, false as he had been to his trust.
“i am sorry to hear this,” he said, gravely.
“sorry to hear that your father left you a fortune?”
“i don’t mean that. i am sorry that my guardian has been wicked enough to attempt to cheat me out of it.”
“what sort of a man is mr. briggs?”
“at first i was not prepossessed in his favor; but he improved on acquaintance. when his wife and son spoke against me, he always took my part. when 332i was charged with dishonesty, he refused to believe it.”
“i think it quite possible that he is a naturally kind-hearted man,” said the sick man; “but human nature is sometimes inconsistent. i think it may have been in a moment of embarrassment that he appropriated your fortune. if he has since prospered, it may be possible for you to recover it.”
“are you sure it was as much as seventy-five thousand dollars, mr. talbot?” asked gilbert, dazzled as he well might be by the magnitude of the sum.
“i am sure of it.”
“can you prove it, so that mr. briggs will be compelled to give it up to me?”
“fortunately i can. i have in my trunk a document, in your father’s own handwriting, giving a schedule of his property, in which he expressly says that he makes it over in trust to richard briggs, for your use. indeed, it must now amount to more than seventy-five thousand dollars; for only a small part of the income has been expended for you. probably 333a few hundreds of dollars a year are all that have been spent for you.”
“i don’t see how mr. briggs could make such false representations,” said gilbert, thoughtfully.
“‘money is the root of all evil,’ my young friend. it is an old proverb, and unfortunately a true one.”
“i have noticed one thing,” continued our hero. “when i thanked mr. briggs for paying my board, as i supposed, out of his own pocket, he always seemed uncomfortable and embarrassed.”
“that shows he is not wholly without shame.”
“it is about time for me to be going back to the office, mr. talbot; but before i go i want to ask your advice on one point. how soon shall i speak to mr. briggs on this subject?”
“whenever you have an opportunity.”
“of course, i must refer to you as my informant.”
“by all means,” said the sick man, promptly. “it will be a great satisfaction to me if, through my means, you succeed in obtaining your rights.”
for the rest of the day and through the evening gilbert’s mind was occupied with the important intelligence 334he had learned. he did not make a confidant of any one, feeling that it was not yet time.
mr. ingalls, his room-mate, saw that he was thinking busily about something, but did not make any inquiries. he knew that gilbert would let him know when he got ready. alphonso jones was not so forbearing.
“by jove! greyson, i believe you are in love,” he said, abruptly.
“what makes you think so, mr. jones?”
“you’ve been sitting with your eyes fixed on the carpet for five minutes without speaking a word.”
“your opinion about love is worth something, mr. jones,” said gilbert, smiling. “you know how it is yourself. didn’t i see you walking with a fair widow last evening?”
“who do you mean?” asked alphonso, smiling.
“mrs. kinney, of course.”
“i only happened to meet her going to a concert with mr. pond,” exclaimed alphonso. “he was called away a moment, and left her in my care.”
“he was very imprudent,” said mr. ingalls. 335“you know, jones, you’re a regular lady-killer. i really hope you won’t try any of your fascinations on the widow.”
mr. jones simpered, and was evidently pleased. it was his private opinion that he was unusually fascinating, and this public acknowledgment of it was gratifying.
“you will have your joke, mr. ingalls,” he said. “i have a high respect for mrs. kinney; but, really, there is nothing in it, i do assure you.”
“time will show,” said mr. ingalls, nodding his head in an oracular way. “but don’t be precipitate, mr. jones. remember the countess de montmorency, who may yet be your bride.”
“i have no hopes in that quarter,” said alphonso, who had ascertained that the count had been reduced by family misfortunes to accept a position in a barbers shop. “good-evening, gents.”
when alphonso had retired, gilbert said, “i have something on my mind, mr. ingalls, though not what mr. jones supposed. i hope soon to let you know what it is.”
336“whenever you are ready, gilbert. i am not curious; but shall be interested in anything that concerns you. it isn’t anything unpleasant, i hope.”
“it may be greatly to my advantage.”
“if that is the case, i can wait cheerfully.”
