When about to return, Fairbanks remarked that he had been engaged beyond present preparations in the purchase of produce of late, and had expended more of his money than he calculated in the beginning; and if the Squire would lend him fifty dollars he should have it back again in a fortnight. The money was handed him without hesitation; and just a week from that time, Frisbie came and paid it, saying that Fairbanks always felt distressed when he could not take up his notes, and pay borrowed money before he agreed to. He spent another evening; and among other questions, he inquired, in an innocent way, if they knew George Ludlow. "We know him very well. Why, what of him?" returned Fabens. "O, nothing," answered Frisbie; "nothing. I happened to think of him just now; that is all. I believe Fairbanks saw him for the first time in your harvest-field last summer. He would not have remembered it, if Ludlow had not had occasion to mention the circumstance in connection with another affair the other day." "Then you have seen something of him, have you?" inquired Fabens. "O, but little, sir, very little indeed," said Frisbie. "He came the other day to trade out a due-bill, and--I believe Fairbanks is well enough satisfied about him now. We were not certain that you knew him very well." "There was no difficulty with him, I presume?" said Fabens, not indifferently. "O, no, nothing of any consequence whatever; nothing that we would breathe abroad, or wish to remember," said Frisbie, with a meekened look. "May I ask if anything dishonorable on his part?" inquired Fabens. "We have supposed him one of our best young men--one of the _very_ best in town; and we have known him from a child." "I am sorry I mentioned his name: I see it disturbs you," said Frisbie. "I would not weaken one's confidence in another for anything in the world--unless I had the weightiest reason. And this was nothing of importance, for one of his friends to know." "But may _we_ not know it, and be relieved of our anxiety?" asked Fabens, with rising emotion. "Why,--yes, I would as lief _you_ would know it as not," said Frisbie. "_You_ will say it was a trifling affair, and little worth minding after all. Hundreds of young men do the same, and never repeat it, and are just as well thought of, too, by a good many people. Temptations lie in wait to ensnare us all; and the greatest wonder is, not that now and then one becomes criminal, but that so many people, good as you and I, Squire Fabens, do not oftener step aside from virtue's way." "But we thought George Ludlow the last to be tempted. He is certainly a most respectable young man. His very looks bespeak an innocent heart. I seldom meet him without desiring to exclaim as Jesus did at the approach of young Nathanael--'Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no guile!' And then he is so industrious and regular," said Fabens warmly.