“Oh, certainly!” returned Mr. Tarbox, rather abashed.  “I am, of course, ready to give you advice, and my first advice is to seek a lawyer and let him institute a suit against your stepfather, on speculation.  That is, he gets nothing if he fails, but obtains a commission if he succeeds.  I could myself recommend a reliable man.”

“Thank you, sir; but I have no present thought of contesting the will.”

“I think you make a mistake.  Do I understand that you expect to earn your own living?”

“I shall try to do so.”

“You will find it very difficult.  You may expect me to take you into my own store, but there is no vacancy, and—­”

Frank hastily assured Mr. Tarbox that he had no such expectations.  He had no wish to deprive the errand boy of the two dollars a week, which he probably richly earned.

“Situations in Newark are not easily obtained,” proceeded Mr. Tarbox.  “I am willing that you should stay with us a day or two, but I don’t think you will find it worth your while to stay here.”

Mr. Tarbox feared that his young relative might expect to find a home free of charge in his house, and such an arrangement did not suit his economical ideas.  There was no profit in it, but, on the contrary, a positive loss.  Frank read clearly the thoughts of his host, with the help of what Pliny had told him, and, expressing his thanks very briefly, announced his intention to go to New York the next morning.

“It may be the best thing you can do!” said Mr. Tarbox, relieved.  “New York opens a much wider field to a boy of enterprise than Newark, and probably you will pick up something to do.”

“It won’t be my fault, if I don’t,” said Frank.

“You have my best wishes,” said Mr. Tarbox.  “The demands of my family forbid me offering you any pecuniary assistance, but—­”

“I don’t stand in need of it, sir.  I have money enough to keep me till I get started in something.”

“Really, I am very glad to hear it!”

And there is no doubt that Mr. Tarbox was sincere.

“I wonder how much money he has got?” thought Pliny.  “Perhaps he’d lend me two dollars.  I’ll ask him, if I have a chance.”

Pliny proposed to borrow, not because he needed the money, but because he liked to levy contributions upon any available party, with a very faint idea of repaying the same.  The money would go to swell his deposit at the savings bank.  It was very commendable, of course, to save his money, but not at the expense of others, as Pliny too frequently did.

“I have moved you out of the spare room,” said Mrs. Tarbox, when our hero asked permission to retire, “and put you in the same room with Pliny.  I suppose you won’t mind?”

“Just as you please, Mrs. Tarbox,” said Frank, though he would have preferred to have passed the night alone.

“Could you make it convenient to lend me two dollars?” asked Pliny, as they went up to bed together.