ht between Willet and Hardy mean? He, seemed to be
the center of a singular circle of complications, of which other
people might know much, but of which he knew nothing.

Mr. Hardy's house was very solid, very warm and very comfortable. He
was still at the Royal Exchange, but Mr. Pillsbury had come home, and
was standing with his back to a great fire, his coattails drawn under
either arm in front of him. A gleam of warmth appeared in his solemn
eyes at the sight of Robert.

"A fierce day, Master Robert," he said. "'Tis good at such a time to
stand before a red fire like this, and have stout walls between one
and the storm."

"Spoken truly, Master Jonathan," said Robert, as he joined him before
the fire, and imitated his position.

"You have been to our new city library? We are quite proud of it."

"Yes, I was there, but I have also been thinking a little."

"Thought never hurts one. We should all be better if we took more
thought upon ourselves."

"I was thinking of a man whom we saw at the play last night, the
merchant, Adrian Van Zoon."

Master Jonathan let his coattails fall from under his arms, and then
he deliberately gathered them up again.

"A wealthy and powerful merchant. He has ships on many seas."

"I have inferred that Mr. Hardy does not like him."

"Considering my words carefully, I should say that Mr. Hardy does not
like Mr. Van Zoon and that Mr. Van Zoon does not like Mr. Hardy."

"I'm not seeking to be intrusive, but is it just business rivalry?"

"You are not intrusive, Master Robert. But my knowledge seldom extends
beyond matters of business."

"Which means that you might be able to tell me, but you deem it wiser
not to do so."

"The storm increases, Master Robert. The snow is almost blinding. I
repeat that it is a most excellent fire before which we are
standing. Mr. Hardy and your friends will be here presently and we
shall have food."

"It seems to me, Master Jonathan, that the people of New York eat much
and often."

"It sustains life and confers a harmless pleasure."

"To return a moment to Adrian Van Zoon. You say that his ships are
upon every sea. In what trade are they engaged, mostly?"

"In almost everything, Master Robert. They say he does much
smuggling--but I don't object to a decent bit of smuggling--and I fear
that certain very fast vessels of his know more than a little about
the slave trade."

"I trust that Mr. Hardy has never engaged in such a traffic."

"Yo