“I can’t understand how girls can be such fools,” thought Tom, as that evening, after returning from the concert, he surveyed his rather perturbed face in the mirror surmounting his bureau.  “I wouldn’t have believed Julia Godfrey would stoop to notice such a pauper.”

Then a cheerful thought came to him.  Perhaps she was only trying to rouse his jealousy.  He had heard of such things.  But, if so, why should she choose such a beggar as Herbert to practice her arts upon?

Certainly, to an unprejudiced observer, such a thought would never have suggested itself.  The cool indifference with which Julia had treated Tom did not appear to argue any such feeling as would lead to the attempt to rouse his jealousy.  But, then, Tom was not an unprejudiced observer, and considered his personal attractions such that any girl might appreciate them.

When he arrived at the counting-room the next morning, he found Herbert already there.  Indeed, our hero was very particular to be punctual in his attendance, while Tom was generally at least a quarter of an hour behind time.

“I saw you at the concert last evening, Mason,” said Tom, who wanted to get a chance to say something disagreeable.

“Yes, I was there,” said Herbert.  “You sat in the row just behind us.”

“Yes.  I suppose you were never at a concert before.”

“Not in New York.”

“Mr. Godfrey was very kind to take you.”

That was what Herbert thought himself.  But as Tom expressed it, there was something in his tone which implied a conviction of Herbert’s social inferiority, which our hero did not like.

“I have found Mr. Godfrey very kind,” he said, briefly.

There are not many employers who would invite a boy in your position to a concert with his family,” said Tom.

“I believe my position is the same as yours,” said Herbert, nettled.

“I don’t see it,” said Tom, haughtily.  “Will you explain yourself?”

“I believe we are both in Mr. Godfrey’s employ,” said Herbert.

“Oh, yes, so far as that goes.  But I am the son of a rich man,” said Tom, pompously.

Herbert might have replied that he was the nephew of a rich man, but he had no disposition to boast of his relationship to his cousin’s family.

“I don’t see that that makes any difference,” said Herbert.

“Don’t you?  Well, I do.”

“We are both boys in Mr. Godfrey’s employ.”

“That’s true, but then, he took you out of pity, you know.”

Tom’s tone as he said this was very aggravating, and Herbert’s face flushed.

“I don’t know anything of the sort,” he retorted.

“No, I suppose you don’t consider it in that light,” said Tom, carelessly; “but, of course, it is clear enough to others.  Where would you have been, if Mr. Godfrey hadn’t given you a place?  Blacking boots, probably, among the street ragamuffins.”