CHAPTER XXXVI.
AT THE FIFTH AVENUE HOTEL.
ON arriving in New York Mark took his young charge at once to the houseof Mr. Gilbert.
It was at the close of the day, and Mr. Gilbert had returned from hisoffice. He received Mark with great cordiality.
"True and faithful, as I expected!" he said. "How did you enjoy yourtrip?"
"Very much, sir. I hope, some day, to visit California again."
"So you are Philip Lillis, my boy," continued Mr. Gilbert kindly. "Doyou think you shall like to live in New York?"
"Yes, sir."
"Were you sorry to leave California?"
"No, sir; Mr. Sprague and Oscar did not treat me well. I would ratherlive with you."
"Your father was a cousin and dear friend. I will try to make his boycomfortable and happy. Mark, will you stay to supper?"
"I should like to very much, but I have not yet seen my mother."
"That is sufficient excuse. Your first duty is to her. Wait a moment. Imust express my acknowledgments to you in a substantial manner."
Mr. Gilbert sat down at his desk and wrote a check, which he inclosed inan envelope.
"Open it when you get home," he said.
"I have a balance of about forty dollars belonging to you, Mr. Gilbert,from my expense money."
"Keep it. I am sure it will be more useful to you than to me."
"How kind you are, Mr. Gilbert!"
"I hope to continue so. Take a few days for rest, and then come round tomy counting-room and we will talk of your future prospects."
Mrs. Mason gave Mark a glad welcome.
"I am so glad to see you," she said.
"I hope you did not want for money while I was gone."
"No; I still have half the money you gave me from Mr. Gilbert when youwent away. Shall I give it back to you?"
"No, mother; keep it for current expenses. Mr. Gilbert gave me a checkjust now, but I don't know how much it is."
He opened the envelope and took out the check.
"It is for two hundred dollars!" he exclaimed. "Mother, we are growingrich. With the balance in my hands, which Mr. Gilbert told me to keep, Ihave two hundred and forty dollars."
"We have much to be thankful for, Mark. Compare our present state withthree months since. Shall you go back to the telegraph office?"
"No; Mr. Gilbert will probably give me a place in his counting-room, butI shall wait a few days first. Is there any news?"
"Your uncle has been to see me again. He offered me five hundred dollarsif I would sign a release to him as executor."
"You didn't do it?"
"No."
"I am glad. Mother, Uncle Solon is trying to swindle us out of a largesum. I heard about the Golden Hope mine when I was away. The shares arebooming, and I shall to-morrow call on my friend the lawyer and requesthim to communicate with Mr. Talbot."
"I leave the matter in your hands, Mark. Though you are so young, youseem to have a judgment beyond your years."
"Thank you for the compliment, mother. I am afraid Uncle Solon would notagree with you. That reminds me. I have an engagement with Edgarto-morrow evening."
"Indeed! I thought you and Edgar were not friendly."
"He has got into a scrape, and I have promised to help him out."
"Is it anything serious?"
"He owes an adventurer seventy-five dollars, and the latter is trying tofrighten him into paying it. I know the man to be a swindler, and shallbe able to foil him in his plans."
"If you can be of service to Edgar I hope you will. He has not treatedyou well, but he is your cousin."
The next evening Edgar Talbot walked into the Fifth Avenue Hotel. Hefelt nervous, for he did not understand how Mark could help him. Itseemed strange to him that he should be indebted to his poor and almostdespised cousin for help in his time of trouble.
A minute after Mark entered looking cheerful and happy.
"Good evening, Edgar," he said. "Has our friend Schuyler appeared?"
"Not yet."
"I don't want him to see me at first. I will go into the reading room,and when you get ready invite him in there. First, draw him out and seewhat he proposes to do."
Mark's confident manner somewhat allayed Edgar's alarm. He was proud andarrogant, but he had little courage.
He sat down on the sofa at the left hand side of the entrance and inabout five minutes Hamilton Schuyler swaggered in. He was carefullydressed and had a rose in his buttonhole.
"I am going to the opera this evening with a fashionable party," hesaid, "and I shall have to hurry up my business with you."
"I am here on time," said Edgar.
"I see. Well, I suppose you have brought the money with you."
"You mean the seventy-five dollars?"
"Of course I do."
"No, Mr. Schuyler, I have not brought the money."
"And why not, I should like to know?" demanded Schuyler with a darkfrown.
"Because I have no means of getting it."
"That isn't my lookout. It is yours. That money I must and will have."
Edgar had been told by Mark what to say, and he replied, "Then, I think,Mr. Schuyler, you will have to sue me."
"Nonsense! I shall adopt quite a different course."
"What is that?"
"I will lay the matter before your father."
Edgar winced, but he was prepared with a reply.
"I don't think it will do you any good. Father won't pay such a bill asthat."
"At any rate it will get you into trouble with him."
"Yes it might," said Edgar nervously.
Schuyler saw his advantage. He must play upon the fears of his youngdupe.
"Come, Edgar," he said, "suppose we talk over this matter sensibly. Youare indebted to me in the sum of seventy-five dollars."
"I never got any value for it."
"It is the result of several fair and honest bets which you lost. As aboy of honor, you must pay me."
"I have told you that I don't know where to get the money."
"And I suggested a plan."
"You suggested that I should appropriate some of the money I was givenby my employer to deposit in the Park Bank."
"Hush!" said Schuyler apprehensively. "Don't blurt out secrets."
"Well, you hinted at some such thing."
"I don't care how you get the money. If you know what is best foryourself, you'll get it somehow and somewhere."
"I thought you were wealthy, Mr. Schuyler. I didn't think you wouldpress me like this."
"I am wealthy, but as I told you I have met with some losses recently, orI would have given you more time on this debt."
"Suppose I can't pay you?"
"Then you will have to take the consequences."
"That means that you will go to my father?"
"Not alone that. I will let it be known everywhere that you have refusedto pay a debt of honor and that will exclude you from the society ofgentlemen."
Edgar was unprepared to go further, and he thought it time to obtainMark's assistance.
"Let us go into the reading room," he said. "Perhaps we can settle thematter there."
"All right! I want to be easy with you, and I will agree to take off tendollars if you will pay me the balance."
"I will see what I can do."
Edgar led the way into the reading room at the rear of the office. Hesaw Mark sitting on a chair at the opposite side of the room, and he ledSchuyler up to it.
Schuyler was short-sighted, and did not make out Mark till Edgar said:"Mr. Schuyler, let me introduce you to my cousin, Mark Mason!"
"The telegraph boy!" ejaculated Schuyler, his face changing.
"I see you know me, Mr. Schuyler," said Mark. "My cousin tells me youwant him to pay you seventy-five dollars."
"I don't know what you have to do with the matter," said Schuylerstiffly.
"Then I will tell you. You have imposed yourself upon Edgar as arespectable man of good social p
osition while I know you to be anadventurer and a swindler."
"Do you mean to insult me?" demanded Schuyler looking around the roomnervously.
"I mean to protect my cousin. Give him the memorandums you have, or tearthem up and cease to persecute him, or I will call in a policeman."
Hamilton Schuyler looked furious, but he knew Mark and his resolutespirit, and felt afraid he would do as he threatened.
"You cub!" he hissed. "You are always interfering with me."
He turned upon his heel and left the reading room.
"He won't trouble you any more, Edgar," said Mark.
"How can I thank you, Mark?" said Edgar gratefully. "You have got me outof a bad scrape. That fellow has drained me of every cent. I had toborrow five dollars of a clerk in the office to satisfy him, and if Ipay it I shall have nothing to spend for a week."
"Then let me be your banker, Edgar," said Mark as he drew a five-dollarnote from his pocket and offered it to his cousin.
"Can you spare this, Mark?" asked Edgar in surprise and relief.
"Yes."
"I don't know when I can repay you."
"Take your own time. Pay a dollar a week if you like."
"Won't you call round at the house?" asked Edgar.
"Thank you, not this evening. I hope the time will come when we can meeteach other often."
"Mark is a good fellow," thought Edgar as he walked up Fifth Avenue. "Ithought he was poor, but he seems to be better off than I am."