The Brother Clerks; A Tale of New-Orleans.

'Occasionally.'

'Can I accompany you there some evening, sir? I would like to know her better.'

'To be sure you may, Guly; especially, as you are henceforth to be somewhat associated in the business line. As I have told you, Blanche is a noble little girl; I respect her highly; very few know where she lives, and I wouldn't take every one there. You understand?'

'Certainly. I shan't name her residence to any one.'

'Very well, then; whenever you say-you alone, remember.'

'Thank you, Wilkins; when I can go I will tell you.'

'Just so.'

Wilkins stepped back to his desk, and Guly still stood arranging the new pieces of embroidery. There was for him a charm about them. Accustomed as he was to seeing such things, he could not get tired of looking at these. They were far more beautiful than any of those which were really French, and had come from over the seas; and from every graceful twig and twining tendril, there looked up at him a pair of soft brown eyes, whose gentle glances went down, and made themselves a home in the boy's pure heart.

CHAPTER XV.

–-'He is a man,
Setting his fate aside, of comely virtues;
Nor did he soil the fact with cowardice-
An honor in him which buys out his faults-
But with a noble fury and fair spirit,
Seeing his reputation touched to death,
He did oppose his foe.'

Shakspeare.

'Mr. Delancey, will you wait one minute, sir!' exclaimed Arthur, coming in, apparently much excited, just as Guly replaced the box on the shelf.

The merchant stopped just as he was going out of the door, and planting his cane firmly down upon the floor, turned round with the frown between his eyebrows quite visibly deepened.

'Well, sir, what will you have?'

'Your attention, if you can give it, sir-one moment at your desk.'

'Whatever you've got to say, say it here.'

'No, sir, I must see you privately.'

Wilkins and Guly both looked at Arthur in mute astonishment. His face was flushed and heated, his breath came short, like one who had been running, and his eyes and lips, and whole manner, evinced intense agitation and excitement.

'Is it such particular business, young man, that you must detain me now?' said the merchant, somewhat angered at the prospect of detention from his usual dinner hour.

'It is very particular business to me, sir; and interests you not much less.'

Mr. Delancey waved his hand impatiently, for Arthur to precede him to his desk; then, with hasty step, and planting his cane each tread visibly on the floor, he followed him, and seating himself with formal precision, took off his hat, and leant stiffly back in his chair.

'Well, sir?'

Arthur would almost have as soon undergone the terrors of the Inquisition as to brave the tempest he expected soon to fall upon his devoted head. He called up all his courage, however, and began.

'This afternoon, sir, I took some money from Mr. Wilkins to deposit in the bank.'

'Well? come, be quick.'

'I put it, as I thought, safely in this pocket; I went from here straight to the bank. I don't know how it happened, I'm sure I can't imagine,' said Arthur, growing confused, with those stern, strong eyes staring straight into his, 'but when I got to the bank I found, sir, I had lost it.'

'The devil you did!'

'I am sorry to say it, it is true.'

'And what were you doing, on your way to the bank, that you hadn't an eye on that money, I'd like to know?'

'The money I supposed was safe, sir, and I walked straight along without thinking about it, till I reached the bank.'

'A likely story that! Who did you talk to, or see, on your way? any of your companions?'

'I saw only one person, sir, whom I knew at all; one whom I have not seen before for several weeks.'

'And that very one, I dare say, picked your pocket. What was his name? who was he?'

'He is a gentleman, sir, who would not do such a thing, I'm sure, any sooner than you would. He is a friend of mine.'

'What is his name, I say?'

'Clinton, sir. No one that you know, probably.'

The merchant leaned forward, and peered keenly into Arthur's face, as if to see if there was aught of hidden meaning in his words; and his features grew ashy pale while he asked, in a hoarse whisper:-

'Clinton? Clinton what?'

'Mr. Clinton is the only name I know him by. I haven't heard his given name,' returned Arthur, surprised at the merchant's agitation.

Mr. Delancey said nothing for a moment; but sat leaning forward, with his pale face dropped in thought upon his breast.

'Did he talk with you long?' he asked, at last.

'No, sir. He walked with me one block.'

'You had the money when he left you?'

'I did not touch it from here to the bank, sir; and knew nothing of it from the time I left this door, till I reached the bank counter.'

'Hem! yes, yes, a very likely story. It couldn't have got out of your pocket without hands, young man; and if your friend wouldn't do such a thing, and your pocket was safe, I don't think but what you know something about it.'

'Me, sir? Mr. Delancey, you don't mean to say-'

'Tut, tut, I know about you young chaps; I might have known I would have just such trouble when I took you, I suppose you think I don't know that Henriquez's billiard table is between here and the bank, eh?'

'If you do, you know more than I do, sir.'

'Dare you tell me that? Here, haven't you been gone a good two hours?-and all that time going to the bank, eh?'

'I tell you the truth, Mr. Delancey; and I am sure you are aware of it.'

'Well, there's no use talking now; you will not convince me if you talk till doomsday. That money you've got to replace out of your salary.'

'Why, sir, it was three hundred dollars.'

'There! there! how do you know how much it was, if you didn't look at it, I'd like to know.'

'I heard Wilkins say this morning he had such a deposit to make. Ask him, sir, if he didn't.'

'I've heard enough about it. You must make it up, that's all; and you'll be more careful henceforth.'

'And, sir, you will retract what you insinuated had become of it? I'll willingly make it up to you, if it takes