“You can settle that with Agnes,” he laughed; and then, as if to lessen my poverty in my own eyes, he kindly added, “In the first place, I’ll get a son-in-law chock-full of heart and grit and brains; and I’ve had pretty good evidence that he isn’t fortune-hunting, which is Agnes’s great danger. But that isn’t all, and I want you to know I’m not a fool. I’m a big fellow down in Wall Street, and even on the Royal Exchange, but do you think I don’t know my position? They kept me up over two years at the Philomathean, and you four months. After you’ve worked ten years over books with your own name on them, you’ll be received and kotowed to by people who wouldn’t crook a finger to know me. You won’t be famous as I am, for the number of naughts I can write after a figure, but your name will be known everywhere, and will be familiar long after mine has been forgotten. Who were the bankers and rich men fifty years ago? There isn’t one person in a thousand can tell you. But who hasn’t heard of Thackeray and Hawthorne, Macaulay and Motley? My girl will have more money than she’ll need; so if she gets a good husband, and one with reputation, she can’t do better. Don’t you see I’m doing my level best for Agnes, and making a regular Jew bargain?” “Perhaps Miss Agnes will not agree.” “We’ve got to take that chance; but she likes you, and good women think a heap more of brains than they do of money. If you’ll let me tell her your story, it won’t be long before she’ll take notice. I shouldn’t have had to ask the boss twice if I’d had any such trump card as you’ve got, and she was a sight less tender-hearted than Agnes!” “Mr. Blodgett,” I said, “I can’t tell you the gratitude I feel, but I must be frank.” “Hold on!” he cried. “I don’t want you to say anything now. You are to take a week on it, and not give me your answer till the end. If you have half the gratitude in you that you pretend, you’ll do as the boss wants.” I had manned myself to tell him of my love for you, but I bowed assent, for indeed, I was too bewildered to think clearly, and was glad to have a respite. We shook hands without further parley, and I came back here, to cough and shiver while trying to think it all out. An hour ago I went to bed, but I was wakeful, and so sit here trying to write myself into sleepiness.