"I see you do not dread work," he said, as I sat down before the writing-table, and took up a pen with alacrity. "Not when I can see daylight through it, sir, and a reasonable prospect ahead of getting it done. Now, sir." And Mr. Rutledge dictated, and I wrote for an hour, without the slightest intermission. At the end of that time he said: "Do you think you are equal to the task of answering those two letters by yourself, of which I will give you a general idea, while I look over those accounts with Maurice and Ruthven, to be added to the New Orleans letter? It is important that they should all be dispatched to-day." "If you are willing to trust me, I am willing to try." And I immediately began the task. It was by no means an easy one; but by referring to the letters to be answered, and by keeping before my mind the synopsis Mr. Rutledge had briefly given me, I was able to finish them to his satisfaction; added the memoranda he had been making to the other letter, sealed and addressed them all, and had the package ready for Michael when he appeared at the door at ten o'clock. "You have worked pretty well for two hours," said Mr. Rutledge, as for a moment I leaned my head on my hand. "I am afraid you are tired." "Not in the least," I said bravely, looking up. "Then get your bonnet and come out with me. It is too fine a day to stay in the house." As I followed him through the hall, Mrs. Roberts encountered us at the dining-room door. Her greeting to me was stiffer than ever. To Mr. Rutledge she said: "If you can spare the time, sir, you would oblige me very much by looking over the 'household expenses' this morning; Dorothy has got her account with the grocer in a great snarl, and hasn't done much better with the butcher, and I can't make them all come out right." "My good friend," said Mr. Rutledge, "if you had appealed to me any other time, I might have helped you, but I have been doing quite as much this morning as I think prudent; to-morrow I will attend to the books." "I am sorry," said Mrs. Roberts, uneasily; "but to-day is the day the grocer brings in his account, and I don't like those sort of people to suppose there's any irregularity in the accounts we keep. They're always ready enough to take advantage." "Couldn't I help you, Mrs. Roberts?" I asked. "I should be very willing to." She gave me a look which plainly said, "_You_ help _me!_" but she merely answered: "Thank you, Miss, but Mr. Rutledge understands the books better than any one; and if he felt able"---- "But he doesn't," said the gentleman in question. "The grocer can come to-morrow with his bill. It will not signify for once." Still Mrs. Roberts demurred, and I saw there would be no peace till she worried Mr. Rutledge into it, so I renewed my offer of assistance. This time it seemed to strike her in a more favorable light. "If I didn't mind the trouble, perhaps I might help her reckon it up. She wasn't as quick at figures as she used to be."