“Wait,” he ordered. “When you say that I planned to separate you, you are right there too, dead right. And you can believe this or not--I made those plans not altogether on account of Esther. I was thinking of you. Not quite as much, maybe, but some.... Here, here! now hold a minute more. Let me tell you what I mean. I haven’t got anything against you in particular. You’re a decent enough boy, I guess. You are a Cook and I have had all the dealings with Cooks that I care to in this life, but there was more than that. If you weren’t any relation to your grandfather I should still put my foot down on you and Esther getting to think too much of each other. She is my niece, just the same as my daughter, and when she marries--as I presume likely she will some day--she will marry a man who is good enough for her, who amounts to something already and will amount to a whole lot more.” Bob broke in. “Some one like Seymour Covell, I suppose,” he suggested, with a sneer. For an instant Townsend’s eyes flashed. Then he smiled grimly and shook his head. “I don’t recollect that I mentioned that name,” he said. “I am not mentioning any names yet. There is time enough; Esther’s young. I didn’t come here to talk about my private affairs either, but, as we are talking, I’ll say my say. You never were the man for her, and you never will be. The thing for you to do is to forget her, go to Paris or wherever you want to, and make yourself into as good a picture painter as you can. And--this was what I started to tell you in the beginning--I don’t know that I may not be willing to help you do it. I don’t know any one in Paris, as it happens, but I have some good friends who do, who know some influential people over there. If I say the word they will give you letters of introduction. There may come a time when you’ll need help--even a little extra money maybe. Well--there you are.” Bob was staring at him incredulously. “Do you mean you would lend me _money_?” he gasped. “I said perhaps those letters would fix it so you could get money if you needed it.” “And--and you think I would take money from _you_?” “Money is a handy thing to have, no matter where it comes from. There, there! keep your feet on the ground. Keep cool.” Bob’s face was crimson. He forgot that he was addressing the great Foster Townsend, the big mogul of Harniss, forgot diplomacy, the difference in their ages, everything. “Why--why, confound you!” he sputtered. “What are you trying to do; buy me off? Did you think I would--” “Ssh! I have no idea of buying you off. I don’t need to, so far as that goes. I was trying to do you a good turn, that’s all.”