It took Fanny some days to recover her temper, if she could be said to have recovered it at all. But by the time her trunks arrived, she had recovered so far as to unpack and gloat over the numerous expensive dresses and other articles of feminine wear that she had brought from beloved Paris. But even in this her pleasure was marred by the thought that there was no one to exhibit them to, and absolutely no place in the neighborhood of this city of sand and sawdust that she could appropriately wear any of her exquisite toilets; so, perforce, she hung them away to wait as patiently as possible her hoped-for removal to a more enlightened place. In the meantime, Elwell was very busy. He had been admitted to an equal partnership with his father-in-law, and was striving to master the many details of the business. Morain, like many other self-made men, had a peculiar method of keeping his accounts. He understood them perfectly himself, but I doubt if any one else could. So Elwell, as a first move, was obliged to inventory the vast business that his partner had built up from nothing, and then proceed, with the aid of an experienced accountant, to systemize it. Pat, instead of objecting to all this, allowed the younger man full swing, and even encouraged him in his innovations. “Go it, young ’un,” he would say, grinning complacently. “Get a fair start, and then we will make ’em all stand from under.” And really, Elwell proved himself a valuable acquisition to the firm; and his energy and tact, aided by Morain’s native shrewdness and knowledge of the business, soon began to make itself felt. Then, too, he was very popular with his fellow townsmen, and rapidly increasing in popularity. He was certainly a rising young man. His very audacity compelled success. He had been a member of the firm of Morain & Elwell two or three months before there came a ripple over the placid stream of his contentment. This was caused by a letter from Mr. Peter Coleman, notifying him that he--Coleman--expected to reach the town of sand and sawdust shortly, with a view, possibly, of entering into the practice of his profession at that point, and he desired his friend and former client to give him as clear an idea as possible of the chances he might have for accumulating a remunerative practice. This did not suit Elwell at all. It was well enough that he should make use of Mr. Peter Coleman, but he had no idea in the world of allowing Mr. Peter Coleman to use _him_. “Of course he wants my help,” Elwell thought. “And if I give way to him, I shall be to a certain extent in his power.” So he wrote a very short, terse letter, saying that there was not the slightest chance for a lawyer of Mr. Coleman’s abilities--he understood that word--in their little town, and strongly advised him not to come, intimating very plainly that if Mr. Coleman did come, he could expect neither advice nor assistance from him.