Iknowthatyouaresincereinthinkingso。AndtheringingwelkinisallweshouldhaveheardinMichigan。Butthemoretrulyamanlovesagirl，thelesscanhebeartakingherfromaneasytoahardlife。Iamsurethatallthemenhereagreewithme。\"
Therewasamurmurandanodfromthemen，andalsofromMrs。Davenport。
ButtheotherladiesgavenosignofassentingtoRichard\'sproposition。
\"Inthosedays，\"saidhe，\"Iwaswhatinthecurtparlanceofthestreetistermedasix-hundred-dollarclerk。Andthoughmyearshadgrownaccustomedtothisappellation，Inevercametofeelthatitcompletelydescribedme。InpassingTiffany\'swindowtwiceeachday（formyhabitwastowalktoandfromNassauStreet）Irememberthatseeingathousand-dollarclockexposedforsalecausedmeannoyance。Ofcoursemysalaryasaclerkbroughtmeintonounfavourablecomparisonwiththeclock；andIdoubtifIcouldmakeyouunderstandmysometimesfeelingwhenIpassedTiffany\'swindowthatIshouldliketosmashtheclock。\"
\"ImetEthelfrequentlyinsociety，dancingwithher，andsittingnextheratdinners。AndbythetimeIhaddinedatherownhouse，andwalkedseveralafternoonswithher，mylotasasix-hundred-dollarclerkbegantoseemverysadtome。Iwroteversesaboutit，andaboutothersubjectsalso。FromaneveningpassedwithEthel，Iwouldgonextmorningtotheofficeandlookattheotherclerks。Oneofthemwasfifty-five，andhestillreceivedsixhundreddollarshiswagesforthelastthirtyyears。I
wasthentwenty-one；andthoughIneverdespairedtotheextentofbelievingthatyearswouldfailtoincreasemyvaluetothefirmbyasinglecent，still，forwhatcouldIhope？Ifmysalarywerethereandthentobedoubled，whatkindofsupportwastwelvehundreddollarstoofferEthel，withherdresses，andherdinners，andherfather\'scarriage？FortwoyearsIwaswretchedlyunhappybeneaththemanyhoursofgaietythatcametome，astoeveryyoungman。\"
\"ThosetwoyearswecouldhavebeeninMichigan，\"saidEthel，\"hadyouunderstood。\"
\"Iknow。Butunderstanding，IbelievethatIshoulddothesameagain。Attheoffice，whennotbusy，Iwrotemorepoetry，andbeganalsotowriteprose，whichIfoundattheoutsetlesseasy。Whenmyfirstwritingswereaccepted（theywerefoursetsofversesupontheSummerResort）IfeltthatIcouldsoonaddressEthel；forIhadmadetendollarsoutsidemysalary。HadshenotbeeninEuropethatJuly，IbelievethatIshouldhavespokentoheratonce。ButIsentherthepaper；andIhavetheletterthatshewroteinreply。\"
\"I\"beganEthel。Butshestopped。
\"Yes，Iknownowthatyoukepttheverses，\"saidRichard。\"Mynextmanuscript，however，wasrejected。Indeed，IwentonofferingmyliteraryproductionsnearlyeveryweekuntilthefollowingJanuarybeforeasecondacceptancecame。Itwastwentyfivedollarsthistime，andalmostmademefeelagainthatIcouldhandsomelysupportEthel。Butnotquite。Afterthefirstcharmingelationatearningmoneywithmypen，thoseweeksofrefusalhadcausedmetothinkmoresoberly。AndthoughIwasnowbentuponbecominganauthorandleavingNassauStreet，Iburnednobridgesbehindme，butmerelyfilledmysparehourswithwritingandwithshowingittoEthel。\"
\"Itwasnowthatthesecondareaofperturbationofmylifecametome。I
saythesecond，becausethefirsthadbeentherecentdawningbeliefthatEthelthoughtaboutmewhenIwasnottheretoremindherofmyself。Thisideahadstirredbutyouwillunderstand。Andnow，whatwasmyproper，myhonourablecourse？ItwasapositivereliefthatatthiscrisisshewenttoFlorida。Icouldthinkmorequietly。Mywritinghadcometobequiteoftenaccepted，sometimesevensolicited。ShouldIspeaktoher，andaskhertowaituntilIcouldputadecentroofoverherhead，orshouldIkeepawayfromheruntilIcouldoffersucharoof？Herfather，Isupposed，coulddosomethingforus。ButIwasnotwillingtobeapensioner。Hisbusinesswerehegenerouswouldbetoprovidecakeandbutter；butthebreadwastobemineandbreadwasstillalongwayoff，accordingtoNewYorkstandards。ThesethingsIthoughtoverwhileshewasinFlorida；yetwhenonceIshouldIfindmyselfwithheragain，I
begantofearthatIcouldnotholdmyselffrombutthesearecircumstanceswhichuniversalknowledgerendersitneedlesstomention，andIwillpasstothesecondperturbation。\"
\"Asumofmoneywassuddenlyleftme。ThenforthefirsttimeIunderstoodwhyIhadduringmyboyhoodbeensoperiodicallysenttoseeacrossoldbrotherofmymother\'s，wholivednearColdSpringontheHudson，andwhomwecalledUncleSnaggletoothwhennoonecouldhearus。UncleGodfrey（forIhavecalledhimbyhisrightnameeversince）diedandleftmewhatinthoseolddayssixyearsagowasstillalargeamount。To-dayweunderstandwhattruerichesmean。Butinthosebygonetimessixyearsago，amilliondollarswasasumconsiderableenoughtobestillseen，asitwere，withthenakedeye。ThatwasmybequestfromUncleGodfrey，andIfeltmyselftobethepossessorofafortune。\"
AtthispointinRichard\'snarrative，asighescapedfromEthel。
\"Iknow，\"heimmediatelysaid，\"thatmoneyisalwayswelcome。Butitiscertainlysomeconsolationtoreflecthowslightalossamilliondollarsiscountedto-dayinNewYork。AndIdidnotloseallofit。\"
\"ImetEthelatthetrainonherreturnfromFlorida，andcrossedwithherontheferryfromJerseyCitytoDesbrossesStreet。ThereIwasobligedtoseeherdriveawayinthecarriagewithherfather。\"
\"Mr。Field，\"saidMrs。Davenport，\"whathourdidthattrainarriveatJerseyCity？\"
Richardlookedsurprised。\"Why，seven-fifteenP。M。，\"hereplied。\"ThetenthofMarch。\"
\"Dark！\"Mrs。Davenportexclaimed。\"Mr。Field，youandEthelwereengagedbeforetheferryboatlandedatDesbrossesStreet。\"
RichardandEthelbothsatstraightup，butremainedspeechless。
\"Pardonmyinterruption，\"saidMrs。Davenport，smiling。\"Ididn\'twanttomissasinglepointinthisstorydogoon！\"
Richardwasobligedtoburstoutlaughing，inwhichEthel，afteramoment，followedhim，thoughperhapslessheartily。Andashecontinued，hisblushsubsided。
\"WithmyUncleGodfrey\'slegacyIwasnolongerdependentuponmysalary，ormypen，ormyfather\'spurse；andIdecidedthatwiththemoneyproperlyinvested，Icouldmaintainamodestestablishmentofmyown。
Ethelagreedwithmeentirely；and，afteralittle，wedisclosedourplanstoourfamilies，andtheymetwithapproval。ThiswasinApril，andwethoughtofOctoberorNovemberforthewedding。Itseemedlongtowait；butitcamenearbeingsomuchlonger，thatIgrowchillynowtothinkofit。\"
\"Ofcourse，IwentsteadilyonwithmyworkattheofficeinNassauStreet，nordidIneglectmywritingentirely。Myattention，however，wasnowturnedtothequestionofinvestingmyfortune。JustroundthecornerfromourofficewasthefirmofBlakeandBeverly，StocksandBonds。
Thithermystepsbeganfrequentlytoturn。Mr。Beverlyhadbusinesswhichbroughthimeveryweektotheroomofourpresident；andsohavingasortofacquaintancewithhim，Ifeltiteasiertoconsulthimthantoseekanyotheramongthebrokers，towhichclassIwasawellnightotalstranger。Heverykindlyconsentedtobemyadviser。IwaswellpleasedtofindhowmuchIhadunderratedtheinterest-bearingcapacityofmywindfall。\'Fourpercent！\'hecried，whenItoldhimthiswastheextentofmyexpectations。\'Why，you\'retalkinglikeatrustee。\'Andthenseeingthathismeaningwasbeyondme，heexplainedinhisbluff，humorousmanner。\'Allatrusteecaresforyouknow，ishisreputationforsafety。
