“I thought she said two dollars?”

“She gave me a ten-dollar bill, and I only took three from the drawer,” said the young man.

“I thought you gave her a piece of gold?”

“There was no gold in the drawer,” was replied, evasively.

Much to the relief of Claire, another customer entered, thus putting an end to the conference between him and Jasper.

The mind of the latter, ever suspicious, was not altogether satisfied.  He was almost sure that two dollars was the price named for the goods, and that he had seen a gold coin offered in change.  And he took occasion to refer to it at the next opportunity, when his clerk’s positive manner, backed by the entry of seven dollars on the sales’ book, silenced him.

As for Claire, this act of restitution, so far as it was in his power to make it, took from his mind a heavy burden.  He had, still, three dollars in his possession that were not rightfully his own.  It was by no means probable that a similar opportunity to the one just embraced would occur.  What then was it best for him to do?  This question was soon after decided, by his throwing the money into the cash-drawer of Jasper.

On his way home to dinner that day, Claire called into the store of a Mr. Melleville, referred to in the conversation with his wife on the previous evening.  This gentleman, who was somewhat advanced in years, was in the same business with Jasper.  He was known as a strictly upright dealer—­“Too honest to get along in this world,” as some said.  “Old Stick-in-the-mud,” others called him.  “A man behind the times,” as the new-comers in the trade were pleased to say.  Claire had lived with him for some years, and left him on the offer of Jasper to give him a hundred dollars more per annum than he was getting.

“Ah, Edward!  How do you do to-day?” said Mr. Melleville, kindly, as the young man came in.

“Very well in body, but not so well in mind,” was the frank reply, as he took the proffered hand of his old employer.

“Not well in mind, ah!  That’s about the worst kind of sickness I know of, Edward.  What’s the matter?”

“As I have dropped in to talk with you a little about my own affairs, I will come at once to the point.”

“That is right.  Speak out plainly, Edward, and you will find in me, at least, a sincere friend, and an honest adviser.  What is the matter now?”

“I don’t like my present situation, Mr. Melleville!”

“Ah!  Well?  What’s the trouble?  Have you and Jasper had a misunderstanding?”

“Oh no!  Nothing of that.  We get on well enough together.  But I don’t think its a good place for a young man to be in, sir!”

“Why not?”

“I can be plain with you.  In a word, Mr. Jasper is not an honest dealer; and he expects his clerks to do pretty much as he does.”

Mr. Melleville shook his head and looked grave.

“To tell the truth,” continued Edward, “I have suffered myself to fall, almost insensibly, into his way of doing business, until I have become an absolute cheat—­taking, sometimes, double and treble profit from a customer who happened to be ignorant about prices.”