Catharine Furze

grasp over his business. To begin with, he was not so much in the shop. His absences in the Terrace at meal-times made a great gap in the day, and Tom Catchpole was constantly left in sole charge. M

alled for Tom, and said, "Here, Tom, this is one of your le

thoughts all the same, and the next time I g

tthorpe in which a couple of grindstones were used which were turned by water-power at considerable speed. One of them had broken at a flaw. It had flown to pieces while revolving, and had nearly caused a serious accident. The owner called at Mr. Furze's to buy another. There were two in stock, one of which he would have taken; but Tom, his master being at the Terrace, strongly recommended his customer not to have that quality, as it was from the same

taking upon yourself to promise yo

wo out there are of the same sort as the one

you are much too fond of thinking. If you would only leave the think

llingness to leave, but for certain private reasons he was silent. E

together, and that I am master here, and not you. You, perhaps, do not remember where you came from,

lain your wishes about the grindstone? I will tell them I was

rs remain as they are; I must lose the

met with her entire approval. She hated Tom. For all hatred, as well as for all love, there is doubtless a reason, but the reasons for the hatreds of a woman o

hat his not replying to you is ten times more

t rid of him,"

you suppose that I do not understand my own business - I who

of him, father; but I would

out his business, at once, before he does any further m

ze, "to-morrow morning

ent. Mrs. Furze had not relented, and as her husban

ect to hear when you come h

whether I had better not wait till I have so

an find somebody

ad been put into his contract in order to save subdivision, and consequently arrangements had to be made with sub-contractors. Materials had also to be provided at once, and there was a penalty of so much a day if the job was not completed by a certain time. He did not know exactly where to begin; he was stunned, as if somebody had hit him a blow on the head, and, after trying in vain to think, he felt that his brain was in knots. He put the thing aside; looked at his other letters, and they were worse. One of his creditors, a blacksmith, who owed him ￡55 for iron, had failed, and he was asked to attend a meeting of creditors. A Staffordshire firm, upon whom he had depended for pipes, in case he should obtain Mr. Eaton's order, had sent a circular announcing an advance in iron, and he forgot that in their offer their price held good for another week. He was trustee under an old trust, upon which no action had been taken for years; he remembered none of its provisions, and now the solicitors had written to him requesting him to be present at a most important conference in London that day week. There was also a notice from the Navigation Commissioner

f escape, to hear some silly thing suggested by an outsider who perhaps has not spent five minutes in considering the case. Mrs. Furze, knowing nothing of Mr. Eaton's contract, of the blacksmith's failure, of

t did Tom say when

n't tol

m, my dear!

y heart you'd mind

atter? You do not seem to

the Terrace - much good has it done us - I thought I should have no interference with my business. Y

Mr. Furze did not follow her, but his dinner remained untouched. When he rose to leave, Catharine

untouched. Mr. Eaton's steward came in with congratulations that the tender was accepted, but he co

did he

ot know

tep the navigation presented itself. Then, without any progress, came the rise in the price of iron, and so forth. In about three hours the post would be going, and nothing was done. He cast about for some oppor

e familiar "Tom." Mr. Ca

ease write what I say, and I will sign in time for the post to-night. First of all there is the contr

rdshire people cannot claim an advance if you

ou can accept their tender. Then

acceptance acknowledged and the

ion - that covers everything. With regard t

pa

well, sir, if you merel

granted. I was considering what p

make it better after y

en there is the trustee business. That is a private matter of my own, which you will not understand. I will give you the pape

to say you

that I am to give instructions upon every petty detail! Then about the na

Furze went no further with the subject, and was

ree weeks really. Will you write to Ditchfield and tell them five tons are to come to Mill

really the important point. As to Jack in the foundry, I wi

u would then only want a new labourer, and you would pay no more than you pay now. Sims

on you is that the vacancy must be filled up.

began to write. Mr. Furze, seeing his desk unencumbered, was very well satisfied with himself. He had "managed" the whole thing perfectly. His head became clear, the knots were untied, and he hummed a few bars of a hymn. He then went to his safe, took out the trust papers without looking at them, handed them over to Tom with a remark that he

early, father,"

; iron has advanced; the navigation has stopped; Castle, the blacksmith, has gone to smash; I have to go

you hear

ternoon in directing Tom what to do, and I must be off to see that he has

e, and went through the familiar operation of putting two and two togethe

not given

d do without him easily, even now; but perhaps it will be better to wait. B

personally and thoroughly controlled the whole day's operations, and that Tom had performed the duties of a merely menial clerk. As he went home he thought over Catharine's attitude with regard to Tom. She, in reality, had been anxious to protect her father; but such a motive he could not be expected to suggest to himself. A horrid notion came into his head. She might be fond of Tom! Did she not once save his life? Had she not, even when a child, pleaded that something ought to be done for him? Had she not affirmed that he was indispensable? Had she not inquired again about him that very day? Had she not openly expressed her contempt for that most eligible person, Mr. Col