"I am ready to leave any time you please," retorted Benjamin, nettled by such uncalled-for treatment. "I am not dependent on you for a living, and I shall not bear such treatment long, I assure you." "That, indeed!" replied Keimer, derisively. "You would not stay another day were it not for our agreement, in accordance with which I now warn you that, at the end of this quarter, I shall cease to employ you." "And I will notify you that I shall not work another minute for you. A man who is neither honest, nor a gentleman, does not deserve the service of decent men." Benjamin was aroused. And, as he spoke these last cutting words, he took his hat and left. As he passed down, he said to Meredith: "Bring all my things to my lodgings." In the evening, Meredith carried all the articles belonging to Benjamin to his boarding-place, where he had a long interview. "Keimer lost the last claim for respect that he had on his men to-day," said Meredith. "Not a man in his establishment, who does not condemn his course." "Just what I expected. He does not want to pay me my price, now that the men have learned their business. This was the first occasion he has had to drive me off." Benjamin spoke with the utmost coolness. "It is the worst act for himself that he has done," continued Meredith. "Every man he employs would leave him if work could be had elsewhere." "I think I shall return to Boston, whether I remain there or not. It is a good time for me to visit my friends." "I have something better than that to suggest. My thoughts have been busy on it all day, and I wanted to see you about it to-night before you laid any plans." Meredith's manner indicated something of importance. "What have you to propose? I am ready for any practicable enterprise you can name." "I want to set up the printing business for myself, and I am not sufficiently acquainted with it, and you are. Can we not arrange to go into business together?" Meredith's proposition took Benjamin by surprise, and evidently seemed impracticable to him. "And have poverty for our capital?" replied Benjamin with a laugh. "I am about as rich as you are." "No; have money for our capital, all that is necessary to start us well in business," answered Meredith. "That would be fine, I declare; but I would like to see the money first," added Benjamin, before Meredith could explain. "Hold on a minute, let me explain, and you will see that my plan is not so impracticable as you seem to think. My father has money; and he has always said that he would start me in business whenever I got a good knowledge of it. He knows, of course, that I have not that knowledge yet; but he knows, too, that a man who can run Keimer's establishment has the requisite knowledge, and would be a good partner for me." "But your father will never advance the necessary capital," interrupted Benjamin. "If I was ten years older he might do it."