University of Virginia Library

16. CHAPTER XVI.
THE COUNTING-HOUSE.

We will now take the reader to the counting-house of Mr. Weldon, on the
morning following the events related in the last Chapter. It is a counting-room,
on the second floor, consisting of two apartments, an outer room for
the transaction of the general business of the house, and an inner room for the
more private intercourse of the merchant with his commercial friends and
customers. Along the centre of the outer room, which had two windows
looking out upon the wharf and shipping, was a tall, oblong writing-desk,
with a mahogany frame-work in the middle, to hold ledgers, account-books,

bills, &c., &c. The desk slanted two ways, and four clerks were seated, upon
high stools, facing one another, engaged very busily with their pens; one
of them, however, who seemed the principal book-keeper, was not so fully
occupied as not to be able, now and then, to exchange a word with Carlton
Ellery, who was seated near him, in waiting for some bills of lading the lad
next to the book-keeper was making out. At intervals Ellery would look
listlessly round upon the maps, and paintings of favorite packet-ships, and
files of newspapers, that adorned the walls of the counting-room.

`What are you doing with shipping these boxes to the Havana, Carlton?'
asked the book-keeper.

`They are a private venture of my own.'

`You talk of a private venture!' said the book-keeper, laughing. `You,
with the prospect of at least a hundred and fifty and three eyphers when
your uncle goes; and that will not be a great ways ahead, if he has many
more of those attacks of the gout? How is it you manage to tie yourself
down to Dorrey's counting-room?'

`I do n't do much, I assure you, Finney. I get down about ten in the
morning, I leave at two, and do n't trouble them till next day at ten.'

`That is delightful. Here I have to be at eight,' said Finney, glancing at
the inner room, and lowering his voice, though the conversation had been
carried on in a low tone; `I have to stay till two; here again at three and
a half, and dark half the time finds me at this desk. But you are indulged
because you are an heir!'

`Yes; I suppose that is something of the secret,' answered Ellery, in a
careless tone; `but the truth is, I only stay there to throw dust into my
uncle's eyes. If I did nothing, he would call me an idle rascal, and so
leave me nothing. By keeping up the semblance of doing something, I shall,
by-and-bye, get something tangible.'

`That is very true. You are far-sighted, I see. But I can't complain; I
have my salary. Now, there is Daily, he is the first man — I may say head
man, as he has all the business of the house at his finger's ends, and often Mr.
Weldon, good merchant as he is, has to go to him to know about his own
matters, he has such confidence in him. Daily, now, is here always first in
the morning; I always leave him last at night! He sets us all an example.'

`I hear there is some talk of his being taken into the firm,' remarked
Ellery, in a tone of assumed indifference, and dropping his voice; for there
was between the outer counting-room and inner a glass division, along which
a green silk curtain was drawn, to render the privacy more secure. This
glass partition was now let down at the top, and although not so low as to
enable Finney, who was seated upon a tall, three-legged stool, to look over
it into the private room of the merchant, it afforded passage for the voices,
from one room to the other, when the door was closed; though no words
were ever distinguishable, spoken in an ordinary tone. If Mr. Weldon
wished to be particularly private, he used to raise the longitudinal sash, thus
rendering his room both impervious to the ears and eyes of his clerks.

Finney knew that both Mr. Weldon and Daily were in there writing; and
he had communicated this information to Ellery, when he asked, in an under
voice, for the latter, as he came in to get his bills of lading filled out and
signed.

`Do you wish to see him?' added the book-keeper, in continuation of his
information,

`Oh, no! I merely inquired.'

`They are very busy; as we always are the day we are getting off a ship.'

`I merely want my bills made out. Here are the marks of each box. I
will wait here, and look over the papers.'

Such was the beginning of the interview between Mr. Finney and Carlton
Ellery. It was very evident, however, from his manner, as well as from
the object for which he professed to come there, that he had other purposes
than the ostensible one.

`Yes, he will soon be taken into partnership,' answered Finney, to Carlton's
some time before remark. `I will tell you in confidence, that I think
it will be not long before the thing will be done.'

`Daily has no property?'

`No. Only his experience and business talents. That is capital, you
know, among merchants.'

`Mr. Weldon must have the fullest confidence in him,' said Ellery, in a
suppressed tone; for the half window was down, and he might be overheard
in the inner room; for he had once over-heard Mr. Weldon's tones,
as he spoke to Daily.

`The fullest,' answered Finney, emphatically.

`Well, I dare say, he may deserve it. But I don't think every body is
to be trusted. Daily, you know, is a low fellow originally. But, I dare say,
he has kept it from you.'

`Oh, no! He told me all about how he used to sell penny papers when
a boy, and lived in Theatre alley. It is not ten days since I was walking
through there with him, when he showed me the house he lived in, and
stopped and pointed out to me some brigs and schooners, and his own initials,
he had cut there himself.'

`Oh, ah! I thought he had too much pride to acknowledge this,' said
Ellery, with a vexed look. `But, I suppose, he is foremost lest others
should throw it in his face. It is good policy in him.'

`There would be a good many dirty faces in Boston, Ellery, if such things
were always thrown into men's faces. I consider it no disgrace in Daily, but
rather to his credit, that, under such disadvantageous circumstances, he should
have been able to raise himself to become equal partner in one of the first
commercial houses in Boston.'

`Humph! He is not partner yet! There is many a slip between the
spoon and the mouth! I would n't trust him. Between you and I, I believe
he is a Mawworm — a finished and artful hypocrite!'

`You surprise me! Have you quarrelled with him?'

`I have never been intimate enough with him to quarrel with him,' answered
Ellery, contemptuously. `We have only a touch-hat acquaintance.'

`True, I know you are not intimate. But still I am not a little surprised
at your prejudice; but —'

Here the glass division was drawn up, by a pulley on the inside, and Mr.
Finney, instead of going on with his sentence, said, with an imposing air,

`Private business, you see. I should n't wonder if they were talking
about the firm!'

`There are the bills of lading, sir,' said the youth who had been filling
them out, laying them before Mr. Finney.

`Oh, ah! I will sign them. They will be a dollar each — three dollars
for three, Mr. Ellery.'

Ellery paid the amount, and said,

`Let them lay there till I go. I want to see your Mr. Daily, when he is
disengaged.'

`See Daily! Why, you have had no difficulty with him?'

`Oh, no, no! I have only some little business with him. A letter for
him. I will wait till he comes out.'

`Are you expecting any one in? Your eye has been continually on the
outer door ever since you came up here.'

`No — oh, no! I expect no one. Was I looking that way particularly?'
he asked, a little confused.

`Yes; and I have been expecting somebody or another in every moment,
that you wanted to see.'

At this instant a gentleman appeared ascending the stairs. As soon as
Ellery caught sight of him through the panes of the glass-door, his eyes
lighted up with an expression of vindictive pleasure.

`There comes Mr. Morley, cashier of the — Bank,' said Finney. `He
'll have to wait till they are through inside there, before he can see Mr.
Weldon, hurried as he seems to be.'

`Is Mr. Weldon in?' asked this gentleman, as he came in, speaking in an
excited tone, and evidently very much disturbed.

`Yes, sir; but he is at this moment engaged in his private room,' answered
Finney, politely, and getting down from his stool. `Will you have
the goodness to be seated.'

`I must see him without delay; if you will be so kind as to speak to him.'

Ellery, from the moment Mr. Morley had made his appearance, had
taken up his bills of lading, and seemed to be closely engaged in looking
them over and comparing the duplicates, and paying no regard to his
entrance. Yet there was a flush upon the brow of this young man, and an
expression of the lip and eye, that betrayed the closest attention and deepest
interest in Mr. Morley's brief communication with the clerk.

`I will speak to him, sir,' answered Finney, approaching the door of the
inner room, and giving it a light rap with the handle of his steel pen. Mr.
Morley approached the door with an eager air, as if to enforce, by his own
appeal, his entrance, should Mr. Weldon reply that he was engaged. Ellery
glanced over the top of his bills of lading with a watchful observation, that
seemed to anticipate some interesting crisis.

We will precede the cashier into the private room of the merchant.

When Ellery came into the outer counting-room, James was writing at the
table of the inner, and the door between being open, he saw him, and overheard
him ask, in rather an elevated tone, for three bills of lading. At the
same moment Mr. Weldon, who had been glancing over the morning news,
rose and closed the door, and proceeded to examine some invoices. After
looking them over, he laid them by, and for a few moments sat with a
thoughtful air, resting his eyes upon James, who, busily writing, did not
notice that he was the object of his benefactor's regards. The expression
upon Mr. Weldon's face was one of the kindest interest in the person whom
he was looking upon; an expression such as an indulgent father might
bestow upon a son whom he loved and honored. At length James raised his
eyes, under the impulse of that singular instinct which warns us that we
have eyes closely regarding our faces, and meeting the full, friendly gaze of
Mr. Weldon, he slightly smiled, and resumed his writing.

`James,' said Mr. Weldon, in a grave, but kind way.

`Sir,' answered the young man, laying down his pen, and looking him ingenuously
in the face.

`I have at length concluded that it is best you should be taken into co-partnership
with me. Have you any objections?'

`Sir, you are too good,' answered James, coloring deeply with grateful
emotion.

`Not at all — not at all. You have merited this.'

`What merit I have, sir, I owe to your benevolence and friendship. But
for you and your family, sir,' — here he dropped his eyes, with a slight degree
of embarrassment — `I should have been cast upon the world unfriended.
If I possess any qualifications that fit me for this position you are pleased to
proffer me, you, sir, are their source.'

`No, no; I know where true merit has its source — in integrity of character
and uprightness of heart. These qualities you have ever possessed,'
said Mr. Weldon, rising from his chair, and raising the glass division between
the counting-rooms. `It is now seven years, the first day of next month,
since you came into my counting-room, James. From that hour to this, you
have served me faithfully; you have devoted yourself to my interests; you
have been mainly instrumental in my increasing prosperity; your judgment
has strengthened my own, and from your experience I have often reaped the
fruits. You have so long sown for me, it is now time you should reap! If
you consent, I will take you in as an equal partner from the first day of
next month, now ten days off. In the meanwhile, I will have the necessary
papers drawn up, and the advertisements announcing it sent to the several
city papers. The style of the firm shall be Weldon and Daily.'

`Sir, I know not how to thank you,' said James, his voice trembling with
grateful emotion. `If I can serve you better as one of the firm, I am at
your disposal!'

`Then it is settled,' said the merchant, taking his hand and shaking it, his
face radiant with smiles. `In securing you as a partner, I shall have the
envy of every merchant on the wharf. I am the one obliged, and not you;
so do n't look so very grateful! There is another who will be happier than
either of us, if I have any skill at “guessing,”' he said, with a peculiar
smile, which James could not fail to understand, and to interpret most
favorably for the success of a still more interesting negotiation of partnership
— a partnership wherein one name does not become two, but two names
one!'

At this crisis, and before James could make any reply, or recover from
his happy confusion, Finney's tap was heard at the door.

`I am particularly engaged just now,' answered Mr. Weldon.

`It is Mr. Morley, the cashier, sir; and he wishes to see you on very
urgent business.'

`Then admit him. We will talk further of our new firm by-and-bye,
James.'