“I don’t think Mrs. Hill likes my being here,” said Ben.

“You are, no doubt, right.  She is foolish enough to be jealous because I do not bestow all my favors upon her.”

“I think she will look upon me as a rival of her son.”

“I expected she would.  Perhaps she will learn, after a while, that I can be a friend to you and him both, though, I am free to admit, I have never been able to take any fancy to Conrad, nor, indeed, was his mother a favorite with me.  But for her needy circumstances, she is, perhaps, the last of my relatives that I would invite to become a member of my household.  However, to come to business:  My money is invested in various ways.  Besides the ordinary forms of investment, stocks, bonds, and mortgages, I have set up two or three young men, whom I thought worthy, in business, and require them to send in monthly statements of their business to me.  You see, therefore, that I have more or less to do with accounts.  I never had much taste for figures, and it struck me that I might relieve myself of considerable drudgery if I could obtain your assistance, under my supervision, of course.  I hope you have a taste for figures?”

“Arithmetic and algebra are my favorite studies,” said Ben promptly.

“I am glad of it.  Of course, I did not know that, but had you not been well versed in accounts, I meant to send you to a commercial school to qualify you for the duties I wished to impose upon you.”

“I don’t think it will be necessary,” answered Ben.  “I have taken lessons in bookkeeping at home, and, though it seems like boasting, I was better in mathematics than any of my schoolfellows.”

“I am so glad to hear that.  Can you write well?”

“Shall I write something for you?”

“Do so.”

Mrs. Hamilton vacated her place, and Ben, sitting at the desk, wrote two or three copies from remembrance.

“Very well, indeed!” said his patroness approvingly.  “I see that in engaging you I have made no mistake.”

Ben’s cheek flushed with pleasure, and he was eager to enter upon his new duties.  But he could not help wondering why he had been selected when Conrad was already in the house, and unemployed.  He ventured to say: 

“Would you mind telling me why you did not employ Conrad, instead of sending for me?”

“There are two good and sufficient reasons:  Conrad is not competent for such an office; and secondly, I should not like to have the boy about me as much as he would need to be.  I have obtained for him a position out of the house.  One question remains to be considered:  How much wages do you expect?”

“I would prefer to leave that to you, Mrs. Hamilton.  I cannot expect high pay.”

“Will ten dollars a week be adequate?”

“I can’t earn as much money as that,” said Ben, in surprise.

“Perhaps not, and yet I am not sure.  If you suit me, it will be worth my while to pay you as much.”