an unexpected meeting at the grand opera house.
when clarence plantagenet saw his poor country cousin marching up broadway escorted by a policeman he was very much surprised, but on the whole he was not displeased.
"do you know that boy?" asked his companion.
"no, certainly not," answered clarence, coloring.
"i thought you looked as if you did."
"he looks like a boy i met in the country last summer," was the evasive answer.
"poor devil! i wonder what he has been doing."
"stealing, very likely," said clarence, shrugging his shoulders.
"he doesn't look like a thief."
[68]
"appearances are deceitful," said clarence, oracularly.
at the supper-table, where clarence met his father for the first time since he had called at his office, he said:
"oh, papa, what do you think? that country boy i saw in your office has got into trouble."
"do you mean your cousin benjamin?"
"i suppose he is my cousin," said clarence, reluctantly, "but i don't care about knowing him for a relation. i saw him on broadway in charge of a policeman."
"are you sure of this?" said mr. walton, much surprised.
"yes; i knew him well enough by his clothes."
clarence then gave an account of his meeting ben.
"did you speak to him?" asked his father.
"mercy, no! percy van dyke was with me. i wouldn't for a hundred dollars have him know that i had a cousin arrested, and such a countryfied-looking cousin, too."
"i think benjamin would be a good-looking [69] boy if he were well dressed," said mr. walton.
"i don't," said clarence, decidedly.
"i am sorry to hear he has got into trouble," said mr. walton, who was not so mean as his son. "i think i ought to do something to help him."
"better leave him to his fate, pa. no doubt he is a bad boy."
"i can't understand why he should be. my sister is poor but an excellent woman, and his father was an exemplary man."
"i don't think we have any call to trouble ourselves about this boy," said clarence. "he has disgraced us, and we couldn't do anything without having it all come out."
"by the way, clarence, i have two tickets to the grand opera house this evening; would you like to go?"
"just the thing, pa; i was wondering what we should do to pass the time."
"edwin booth is to appear as cardinal richelieu. it is one of his best characters. it will be a rare treat."
"percy van dyke is to be there with his [70] sister," said clarence. "that is the reason why he wouldn't take supper with me at delmonico's this evening."
"you will have a chance to see your friends between the acts," said mr. walton. "i am perfectly willing you should become intimate with the van dykes. by the way, bring your friend around and introduce him to me."
"yes, pa."
mr. walton had been the architect of his own fortune, while the van dykes were descended from an old dutch family, and had held for over a century a high social position. now that the merchant had money, he thirsted for social recognition—something money will not always buy.
eight o'clock found father and son in choice orchestra seats in the grand opera house, and they began to look about them.
suddenly mr. walton said, sharply:
"what was all that rubbish you were telling me about your cousin being arrested?"
"it was perfectly true, pa," answered clarence, looking at his father in surprise.
[71]
"what do you say to that, then?"
following the direction of his father's finger, clarence's eyes rested upon his despised country cousin, elegantly dressed, sitting two rows to the front, and a little to the right, with his eyes fixed upon the curtain, which was then rising.
"that looks very much as if your cousin had been arrested!" said his father, with a sneer.
"i can't understand it," ejaculated clarence. "it can't be my cousin. it must be some other boy that looks like him."
just then ben chanced to turn round. observing his uncle's eyes fixed upon him, he bowed politely and turned once more to the stage.
