"O he's a man of great wealth, and has a beautiful place there, and keeps a very fine house, and he's very hospitable. He's always very glad to see me; and it's rather a pleasant change from Glanbally's _vis-a-vis_ and underdone apple-pies. He is one of the rich, rich Mannahatta merchants, but he has a taste for better things too. Father knows him -- they met some years ago in the Legislature, and father has done him some service or other since. He has no family -- except one or two children not grown up -- his wife is dead -- so I suppose he was glad of somebody to help him eat his fine dinners. He said some very handsome things to encourage me. He might have offered me the use of his library -- but he did not." "Perhaps he hasn't one." "Yes he has -- a good one." "It's got into the wrong hands, I'm afraid," said Winthrop. "He has a _little_ the character of being hard-fisted. At least I think so. He has a rich ward that he is bringing up with his daughter, -- a niece of his wife's -- and people say he will take his commission out of her property; and there is nobody to look after it." "Well I shan't take the office," said Winthrop, getting up. "If the thought of Mr. Haye's fine dinner hasn't taken away your appetite, suppose we get home and see how these mackerel will look fried." "It's just getting pleasant now," said Rufus as he rose to his feet. "There might be a worse office to take, for she will have a pretty penny, they say." "Do you think of it yourself?" "There's two of them," said Rufus smiling. "Well, you take one and I'll take the other," said Winthrop. gravely. "That's settled. And here is something you had better put in your pocket as we go -- it may be useful in the meanwhile." He quietly gathered up the five dollars from the rock and slipped them into the pocket of Rufus's jacket as he spoke; then slipped himself off the rock, took the fishing tackle and baskets into the boat, and then his brother, and pushed out into the tide. There was a strong ebb, and they ran swiftly down past rock and mountain and valley, all in a cooler and fairer beauty than a few hours before when they had gone up. Rufus took off his hat and declared there was no place like home; and Winthrop sometimes pulled a few strong strokes and then rested on his oars and let the boat drop down with the tide. "Winthrop," -- said Rufus, as he sat paddling his hands in the water over the side of the boat, -- "you're a tremendous fine fellow!" "Thank you. -- I wish you'd sit a little more in the middle." "This is better than Asphodel just now," Rufus remarked as he took his hands out and straightened himself. "How do you like Mr. Glanbally?" "Well enough -- he's a very good man -- not too bright; but he's a very good man. He does very well. I must get you there, Winthrop."