"What fellow?" returned Mr. Ashley. "Why, that chap of yours who has been here. He has helped me through my exercise. Not doing it for me: you need not be afraid; but explaining to me how to do it. He made it easier to me than you do, papa." Mr. Ashley took the book in his hand, and saw that it was correct. He knew Henry could not, or would not, have made it so himself. Henry continued: "He said his papa used to explain it to him. Fancy one of your manufactory errand-boys saying 'papa.'" "You must not class him with the ordinary errand-boys, Henry. The boy has been as well brought up as you have." "I thought so; for he has impudence about him," was Master Henry's retort. "Was he impudent to you?" "To me? Oh no. He is as civil a fellow as ever I spoke to. Indeed, but for remembering who he was, I should call him a gentlemanly fellow. Whilst he was telling me, I forgot who he was, and talked to him as an equal, and _he_ talked to me as one. I call him impudent, because he found fault with your Latin." "Indeed!" returned Mr. Ashley, an amused smile parting his lips. "He says this word's wrong. That it ought to be in the vocative case." "So it ought to be," assented Mr. Ashley, casting his eyes on the word to which Henry pointed. "You told me the dative, papa." "That I certainly did not, Henry. The mistake must have been your own." "He persisted that it was wrong, although I told him it was your Latin. Papa, it is the same boy who had the row yesterday with Cyril Dare. What a pity it is, though, that a fellow so well up in his Latin should be shut up in a manufactory!" "The only 'pity' is, that he is in it too early," was the response of Mr. Ashley. "His Latin would not be any detriment to his being in a manufactory, or the manufactory to his Latin. I am a manufacturer myself, Henry. You appear to ignore that sometimes." "The Dares go on so. They din it into my ears that a manufacturer cannot be a gentleman." "I shall cause you to drop the acquaintance of the Dares, if you allow yourself to listen to all the false and foolish notions they may give utterance to. Cyril Dare will probably go into a manufactory himself." Henry looked up curiously. "I don't think so, papa." "I do," returned Mr. Ashley, in a significant tone. Henry was surprised at the news. He knew his father never advanced a decided opinion unless he had good grounds for it. He burst into a laugh. The notion of Cyril Dare's going into a manufactory tickled his fancy amazingly. PART THE SECOND. CHAPTER I. A SUGGESTED FEAR. One morning, towards the middle of April, Mrs. Halliburton went up to Mr. Ashley's. She had brought him the quarter's rent. "Will you allow me to pay it to yourself, sir--now, and in future?" she asked. "I feel an unconquerable aversion to having further dealings with Mr. Dare."