"You are not so considerate to all," said Arthur, after a pause given
to revolving the words, and to wondering whether they were spoken in
good faith, or with some concealed purpose. He could not decide which.

"No, I am not," pointedly returned Hopper, in answer. "There are some
that I look after, sharp as a ferret looks after a rat, but I'll never
do that by any son of Mr. Channing's. I can't forget the old days, sir,
when your father was kind to me. He stood by me longer than my own
friends did. But for him, I should have starved in that long illness I
had, when the office would have me no longer. Why doesn't Mr. Hamish
settle this?" he abruptly added.

"I suppose he cannot," answered Arthur.

"It is only a bagatelle at the worst, and our folks would not have gone
to extremities if he had shown only a disposition to settle. I am sure
that if he would go to them now, and pay down a ten-pound note, and
say, 'You shall have the rest as I can get it,' they'd withdraw
proceedings; ay, even for five pounds I believe they would. Tell him to
do it, Mr. Arthur; tell him I always know which way the wind blows with
our people."

"I will tell him, but I fear he is very short of money just now. Five
or ten pounds may be as impossible to find, sometimes, as five or ten
thousand."

"Better find it than be locked up," said Hopper. "How would the office
get on? Deprive him of the power of management, and it might cost Mr.
Channing his place. What use is a man when he is in prison? I was in
Mr. Channing's office for ten years, Mr. Arthur, and I know every trick