'Very well. David, please to draw them up,' said Hallet; and then, his voice again trembling a little, he added, 'All is understood, Mr. Kirke, but the compensation I shall make you for your fatherly care of my much neglected son. Money cannot pay for such service, but it will relieve me to reimburse you for your expenditures.' 'I have had my pay, sir, in the love of the boy. I ask no more.' Hallet was sensibly affected, but without speaking, he turned to the desk, and took down his bankbook. In a few moments he handed me a check. It was for five thousand dollars. I took it, and, hesitating an instant, said: 'I will keep this, sir; not for myself, but for Frank. It may be of service to him at some future time.' 'Keep it for yourself, sir, not for him. He will not need it. He shall share equally with my other children.' 'I am glad to see this spirit in you, sir. Frank will be worthy of all you may do for him.' 'It is not for _his_ sake that I will do it,' replied Hallet, his voice tremulous with emotion; 'it is that I may have the forgiveness of the one I--I--' He said no more, but leaning his head on his hand, he wept! If there is joy among the angels over one that repents, was there not, then, forgiveness in _her_ heart for _him_? No one spoke for some minutes; then David rose, and handing me one of the papers, laid the other before Hallet. 'This appears right,' I said, after reading it over carefully. 'Yes,' replied Hallet, taking up a pen and signing the other. Passing it to me, he added: 'Keep them both--take them now.' 'But Frank may not wish to come.' 'Then I will find some other way of helping him. He is my son! Take the papers.' 'Well, as you say,' I replied. 'David, please to witness this.' Hallet pressed me to pass the night at his house, but I declined, and rode out to Cambridge with the old bookkeeper. With many injunctions to watch carefully over Frank, I left him about twelve o'clock, rode into town with Cragin, and the next morning started for New York. That night, as I recounted the interview to Kate, I said: 'I never did believe in these double-quick conversions; but Hallet _is_ an altered man.' 'Then, indeed, can the leopard change his spots.' As usual, her womanly intuitions were right; my worldly wisdom was wrong! CHAPTER XV. Not long after the events I have just related, the mail brought me the following letter from Preston: