The plan had, in all its details, been carefully arranged by the two brothers.  They were afraid lest Hepburn and Coulson should be dazzled by the amount of profits, and had so arranged the sliding-scale of payment as to reduce the first year’s income to what the elder men thought a very moderate sum, but what to the younger ones appeared an amount of wealth such as they, who had neither of them ever owned much more than fifty pounds, considered almost inexhaustible.  It was certainly a remarkable instance of prosperity and desert meeting together so early in life.

For a moment or two the brothers were disappointed at not hearing any reply from either of them.  Then Philip stood up, for he felt as if anything he could say sitting down would not be sufficiently expressive of gratitude, and William instantly followed his example.  Hepburn began in a formal manner, something the way in which he had read in the York newspapers that honourable members returned thanks when their health was given.

‘I can hardly express my feelings’ (Coulson nudged him) ’his feelings, too—­of gratitude.  Oh, Master John!  Master Jeremiah, I thought it might come i’ time; nay, I’ve thought it might come afore long; but I niver thought as it would be so much, or made so easy.  We’ve got good kind friends—­we have, have we not, William?—­and we’ll do our best, and I hope as we shall come up to their wishes.’

Philip’s voice quivered a little, as some remembrance passed across his mind; at this unusual moment of expansion out it came.  ’I wish mother could ha’ seen this day.’

’She shall see a better day, my lad, when thy name and William’s is painted over t’ shop-door, and J. and J. Foster blacked out.’

‘Nay, master,’ said William, ’that mun never be.  I’d a’most sooner not come in for the business.  Anyhow, it must be ’late J. and J. Foster,’ and I’m not sure as I can stomach that.’

‘Well, well, William,’ said John Foster, highly gratified, ’there be time enough to talk over that.  There was one thing more to be said, was there not, brother Jeremiah?  We do not wish to have this talked over in Monkshaven until shortly before the time when yo’ must enter on the business.  We have our own arrangements to make wi’ regard to the banking concern, and there’ll be lawyer’s work to do, after yo’ve examined books and looked over stock again together; may-be we’ve overstated it, or t’ fixtures aren’t worth so much as we said.  Anyhow yo’ must each on yo’ give us yo’r word for to keep fra’ naming this night’s conversation to any one.  Meantime, Jeremiah and I will have to pay accounts, and take a kind of farewell of the merchants and manufacturers with whom Fosters have had dealings this seventy or eighty year; and when and where it seems fitting to us we will take one of yo’ to introduce as our successors and friends.  But all that’s to come.  But yo’ must each give us yo’r word not to name what has passed here to any one till further speech on the subject has passed between us.’