"I think you are mistaken, sir," replied Mr. Develin, with a faint attempt to retain his position. "I am not mistaken, sir; I know, personally, that in the commencement of her literary career, when one or two articles of hers were copied into his paper by an assistant in the office, he positively forbade her _nom de plume_ being again mentioned, or another of her articles copied into the Irving Magazine. He is a miserable time-server, sir. Fashion is his God; he recognizes only the drawing-room side of human nature. Sorrow in satin he can sympathize with, but sorrow in rags is too plebeian for his exquisite organization. "Good morning, Mr. Develin; good morning, sir. The next time I hear of your giving a version of this matter, I trust it will be a correct one," added he with a stern look. "Well," exclaimed Mr. Walter, as he walked down street, "of all mean meanness of which a man can be guilty, the meanest, in my estimation, is to rob a woman of her justly-earned literary fame, and I wish, for the credit of human nature, it were confined to persons of as limited mental endowments and influence as the one I have just left." CHAPTER LXXXIX. "Oh, how frightened I was!" exclaimed Nettie, as her mother applied some healing salve to a slight burn on her arm; "how frightened I was, at that fire!" "You mean, how frightened you were _after_ the fire," replied her mother, smiling; "you were so bewildered, waking up out of that sound sleep, that I fancy you did not understand much about the danger till after good Johnny Galt saved you." "If I did not love Neddy so much, I should certainly give Johnny Galt my picture," said Nettie, with a sudden outburst of enthusiasm. "I will see that Johnny Galt is rewarded," replied Ruth. "But this is the day Mr. Walter was to have come. I hope Johnny Galt will meet him at the Dépôt as he promised, else he will be so alarmed about our safety when he learns of the fire. Dear me! how the rain comes down, it looks as though it meant to persevere." "Yes, and _pour-severe_ too," said Nettie, with an arch look at her mother. Katy and Ruth had not finished laughing at this sally, when Mr. Walter was announced. His greeting was grave, for he trembled to think of the danger they had escaped. After mutual congratulations had been exchanged, a detailed account of their escape given, and Johnny Galt's heroism duly extolled, Mr. Walter said: "Well, I am glad to find you so comfortably housed after the fire; but the sooner I take all of you under my charge, the better, I think. What do you say to starting for ---- to-morrow? Are you sufficiently recovered from your fright and fatigue?" "Oh, yes," replied Ruth, laughing; "do we not look as good as new? Our wardrobe, to be sure, is in rather a slender condition; but that is much easier remedied than a slender purse, as I have good reason to know."