Luke would have been disturbed by this remark, had not the smile on Mr. Armstrong’s face belied his words.

“Does he think you are in earnest, sir?”

“Oh, yes, he has no doubt of it.  He warned me of your character, and said he was quite sure that you and your friend Mr. Reed were implicated in the bank robbery.  I told him I would cross-examine you, and see what I could find out.  Randolph told me that you were only a working boy, which I pronounced to be very much against you.”

Luke laughed outright.

“I think you are fond of a practical joke, Mr. Armstrong,” he said.  “You have fooled Randolph very neatly.”

“I had an object in it,” said Mr. Armstrong quietly.  “I may have occasion to employ you in the matter, and if so, it will be well that no arrangement is suspected between us.  Randolph will undoubtedly inform his father of what happened this morning.”

“As I said before, sir, I am ready to do anything that lies in my power.”

Luke could not help feeling curious as to the character of the service he would be called upon to perform.  He found it difficult to hazard a conjecture, but one thing at least seemed clear, and this was that Mr. Armstrong was disposed to be his friend, and as he was a rich man his friendship was likely to amount to some thing.

They had now reached the depot, and in ten minutes the train was due.

“Don’t wait if you wish to get to work, Luke,” said Mr. Armstrong kindly.

“My work can wait; it is nearly finished,” said Luke.

The ten minutes passed rapidly, and with a cordial good-bye, the capitalist entered the train, leaving Luke to return to his modest home in good spirits.

“I have two influential friends, now,” he said to himself—­“Mr. Reed and Mr. Armstrong.  On the whole, Luke Larkin, you are in luck, your prospects look decidedly bright, even if you have lost the janitorship.”

CHAPTER XXIII

RANDOLPH AND HIS CREDITOR

Though Randolph was pleased at having, as he thought, put a spoke in Luke’s wheel, and filled Mr. Armstrong’s mind with suspicion, he was not altogether happy.  He had a little private trouble of his own.  He had now for some time been a frequenter of Tony Denton’s billiard saloon, patronizing both the table and the bar.  He had fallen in with a few young men of no social standing, who flattered him, and, therefore, stood in his good graces.  With them he played billiards and drank.  After a time he found that he was exceeding his allowance, but in the most obliging way Tony Denton had offered him credit.

“Of course, Mr. Duncan”—­Randolph felt flattered at being addressed in this way—­“of course, Mr. Duncan, your credit is good with me.  If you haven’t the ready money, and I know most young gentlemen are liable to be short, I will just keep an account, and you can settle at your convenience.”