"If you please, sir, I wished to tell you--I've made up my mind to
leave--and thank you very much for all your kindness!"

Mr. Faringfield stared from under his gathered brows, and asked Phil
to repeat the strange thing he had said.

"Leave what, sir?" he queried sharply, when Phil had done so.

"Leave your warehouse, sir; and your house; and New York."

"What do you mean, my boy?"

And Phil, thankful that Mr. Faringfield had paused to have the talk
out ere they should come among the men at the warehouse, explained at
first in vague terms, but finally in the explicit language to which
his benefactor's questions forced him, that he seemed, in Master Ned's
mind, to be standing in Ned's way; that he would not for the world
appear to supplant any man's son, much less the son of one who had
been so kind to him; that he had unintentionally been the cause of
Ned's departure the evening before; and that he hoped his going would
bring Ned back from the absence which caused his mother grief. "And I
wouldn't stay in New York after leaving you, sir," he said, "for
'twould look as if you and I had disagreed."

To all this Mr. Faringfield replied briefly that Ned was a foolish
boy, and would soon enough come back, glad of what welcome he might
get; and that, as for Philip's going away, it was simply not to be
heard of. But Phil persisted, conceding only that he should remain at
the warehouse for an hour that morning and complete a task he had left
unfinished. Mr. Faringfield still refused to have it that Phil should