bernard was shown up-stairs to an apartment on the second floor. he was ushered into an anteroom, where four persons were already sitting. these bernard inferred were applicants for the post of traveling companion.
when he entered, the others regarded him with interest, and, as it seemed, with amusement. his youth made it seem ridiculous in their eyes for him to aspire to the position advertised.
bernard, too, was interested in taking stock of his competitors.
one was a tall young man, of about thirty-five, dressed in a tightly fitting suit, the coat buttoned up to the throat. whatever his qualifications might be, he looked stiff and uncompanionable.
his next neighbor was considerably shorter, quite smartly dressed, and his face wore a self-satisfied smirk, as if he had a remarkably good opinion of himself. another was a man of at least forty, with a middle-aged look, and an air of discouragement about him.
the fourth was an awkward looking young man, not over twenty-one, who seemed bashful and ill at ease. he was just from the university, where he had not quite completed the full course, and, whatever his scholarship might be, looked inexperienced and unpractical.
a man servant appeared, and looking about him doubtfully, signaled to the first mentioned applicant to follow him. while he was closeted with the advertiser, the others were expectant and ill at ease. they feared that choice would be made of the first applicant.
at the end of ten minutes he reappeared in the anteroom. all eyes were turned upon him.
“are you engaged?” asked applicant no. 2.
the tall young man answered complacently, “not yet, but i probably shall be. mr. cunningham will communicate with me.”
he left the room, and no. 2 followed the servant into the advertiser’s presence. he reappeared at the end of five minutes.
“well?” asked the man of middle age anxiously.
“i think it will be me,” was the reply. “mr. cunningham was very social and agreeable. between ourselves, there isn’t the slightest chance of the other man being taken. he flattered himself too much.”
“is he going to write to you?”
“yes. i told him that the first man fully expected the appointment, but he only laughed. i understood what that meant.”
so no. 2 departed and no. 3 was invited into the advertiser’s presence.
he, too, came back at the end of from five to ten minutes, but he did not look as confident as the two who preceded him.
“are you chosen?” asked the university man eagerly.
“no, and i don’t think i shall be. mr. cunningham evidently regarded me as too old. he is himself a young man. i don’t think he is over twenty-three or twenty-four.”
the college man brightened up. this seemed favorable to his chances. as he argued, cunningham would naturally prefer a person somewhere near his own age.
at a signal, from the servant he entered the presence of walter cunningham, his face flushing with nervous embarrassment.
soon he, too, came out, and there was but one applicant left—bernard—to greet him. he, too, had been of opinion that the college man would be accepted.
“am i to congratulate you?” he asked.
“i don’t know,” answered the university man.
“mr. cunningham was very kind and friendly. he has reserved his decision, and tells me that if i am selected i will hear from him in two days.”
“follow me, young man,” said the servant, signaling to bernard.
bernard found himself almost immediately in the presence of walter cunningham. the advertiser was a pleasant looking young man, whose appearance attracted bernard. he looked rather surprised at bernard’s youth.
“have you come in answer to my advertisement?” he asked.
“i have,” replied bernard. “i can see that you think me very young.”
“well, certainly you are not very old,” returned cunningham, smiling pleasantly. “how old are you?”
“sixteen.”
“and i am twenty-three.”
“it is rather presumptuous in me to answer your advertisement, but there was no limitation of age.”
“true. you were quite justified in applying. you are not english?”
“no; i am an american.”
“so i judged. i know something of america. two years since i spent six months in the states. i have seen most of your large cities, from new york to san francisco.”
“i am sorry to say that my traveling has been very limited.”
“and you really have no special qualifications for the position of a traveling companion?”
“no, sir.”
“are you acquainted with any of the modern languages?”
“i can read french pretty easily.”
mr. cunningham looked pleased.
“that will be a help,” he said. “do you speak it at all?”
“just a little. i wrote french exercises, and had a few lessons in french conversation. of course, i have very small claim to the place, but it is quite important for me to find employment, and an american lady—a teacher—suggested to me to apply.”
“then your means are limited? have you parents?”
“no, sir; i am quite alone in the world.”
“how did you chance to come to england?”
“it might take me some time to answer that question.”
“never mind! i have plenty of time at my command.”
thus invited, bernard made a full statement of his position, and the circumstances which led to his leaving america. he also explained why he had left professor puffer.
“i am very much interested in your narrative,” said cunningham. “you are certainly placed in a difficult position. you have reason to think that your guardian is no friend of yours?”
“i am certain of that, sir.”
“this professor puffer, though it is doubtful if he has any rightful claim to the title, appears to be a bad lot.”
“that’s what he calls me,” said bernard, laughing. he already felt on very cordial terms with mr. cunningham.
“i may be foolish,” went on cunningham, after a pause. “i don’t know what my friends will say, but i feel very much inclined to engage you.”
“i hope you will. it is not only that i need employment. i am sure i should enjoy being with you.”
“that settles it,” said cunningham. “i already like you, and if you like me i am sure it will be pleasant for us to be associated. to be sure, you don’t know much about traveling. i do, and can supply your deficiencies. now i will tell you why i seek a companion. partly because it is agreeable, but partly also because i am not robust and am likely—that is, there is a chance of being sick—and in that case i should need a friend with me. i think i want a friend more than a companion. that was one reason why i didn’t feel favorably inclined to the other applicants.”
“no doubt they were better qualified than i am.”
“yes, they were. the first one has considerable experience in traveling and speaks two or three of the continental languages, but i never could make a friend of him.”
“he seemed very stiff and unsocial.”
“that was my judgment of him. as to the second, he was entirely too well satisfied with himself. i have no doubt he would try to make himself agreeable, and he has traveled some.”
“he seemed to think there was every chance of his obtaining the position. no one thought i had any chance.”
“you wouldn’t have with most persons, but i happen to like you,” said walter cunningham frankly.
“i am glad of that. i thought the young man who went in last might be successful. the middle-aged man didn’t have strong hopes.”
“no, he is too old, and seems to have had such a rough time in life that he would be far from a cheerful companion. he seems very hard up. when i write him my refusal i shall send him a five pound note to relieve his feeling of disappointment.”
“that will be very kind in you. i would do the same in your place.”
“i think we are alike in being considerate of others. as to the young man, he doesn’t seem to be practical. i am afraid that i should be a companion to him rather than he to me.”
“it may be so with me, but i shall try to make myself useful.”
“you look bright, and would, i think, learn rapidly to do all i expect of you.”
at this moment the man servant came in and handed a card to mr. cunningham, who uttered an exclamation of surprise.
“whose card do you think this is?” he asked.
“i couldn’t guess.”
“it bears the name of professor ezra puffer, your friend.”
“don’t call him my friend! what can bring him here?”
“he wants to be my traveling companion.”
