“I’ll tell you what, Edward,” he added.  “If you will take her, I will call the sum six dollars a week—­or three hundred a year.  That will make the matter perfectly easy.  If your wife does not seem at first inclined, talk to her seriously.  This addition to your income will be a great help.  To show her that I am perfectly in earnest, and that you can depend on receiving the sum specified, I will draw up a little agreement, which, if all parties are satisfied, can be signed at once.”

Claire promised to talk the matter over with his wife at dinner-time.

The morning did not pass without varied assaults upon the young man’s recent good resolutions.  Several times he had customers in from whom it would have been easy to get more than a fair profit, but he steadily adhered to what he believed to be right, notwithstanding Jasper once or twice expressed dissatisfaction at his not having made better sales, and particularly at his failing to sell a piece of cloth, because he would not pledge his word as to its colour and quality—­neither of which were good.

The proposition of Jasper for him to make, in his family, a place for the orphan, caused Claire to postpone the announcement of his intention to leave his service, until after he had seen and conferred with his wife.

At the usual dinner-hour, Claire returned home.  His mind had become by this time somewhat disturbed.  The long-cherished love of money, subdued for a brief season, was becoming active again.  Here were six dollars to be added, weekly, to his income, provided his wife approved the arrangement,—­and it was to come through Jasper.  The more he thought of this increase, the more his natural cupidity was stirred, and the less willing he felt to give up the proposed one hundred dollars in his salary.  If he persisted in leaving Jasper, there would, in all probability, be a breach between them, and this would, he felt certain, prevent an arrangement that he liked better and better the more he thought about it.  He was in this state of mind when he arrived at home.

On pushing open the door of their sitting-room, the attention of Claire was arrested by the animated expression of his wife’s face.  She raised her finger to enjoin silence.  Tripping lightly to his side, she drew her arm within his, and whispered—­

“Come into the chamber, dear—­tread softly—­there, isn’t that sweet?—­isn’t it lovely?”

The sight was lovely indeed.  A pillow had been thrown on the floor, and upon this lay sleeping, arm in arm, the two children.  Pressed close together were their rosy checks; and the sunny curls of Fanny Elder were mixed, like gleams of sunshine, amid the darker ringlets that covered profusely the head of little Edith.

“Did you ever see any thing so beautiful?” said the delighted mother.

“What a picture it would make!” remarked Edward, who was charmed with the sight.

“Oh, lovely!  How I would like just such a picture!