"That you will take tea with us to-morrow evening, and help us do
justice to them."

"Thank you," said Robert, not a little pleased at the invitation, "but I
shouldn't like to leave my mother at home alone."

"Oh, we must have your mother, too. Hester will call this evening, and
invite her."

"Then," said Robert, "I can answer for myself, and I think for her, that
we should both be very happy to come."

The lawyer's social position made such an invitation particularly
gratifying to Robert. Besides, he was led to value it more on account of
the persistent efforts of Halbert to injure him in the general
estimation. Then, too, it was pleasant to think that he was to sit down
to the same table with Hester, as her father's guest, and to receive a
call from her at his own house. Nothing that Mr. Paine could have done
would have afforded him an equal amount of gratification,

"There is one other matter I wanted to speak to you about, Mr. Paine,"
he said. "Will you take care of some money for me until I get a chance
to deposit it in the savings bank?"

"Certainly, Robert," was the reply, but the lawyer's manner showed some
surprise. He knew the circumstances of the Rushtons, and he had not
supposed they had any money on hand. "How much is it?"

"Six hundred and thirty-five dollars," answered Robert, producing it.