ould do as he pleased."

This insolent demand was not seconded by Mr. Moncton, and I took no
further notice of it.

That my uncle had a game of his own to play, when he took me from the
obscurity of the office and introduced me into society, I was now more
than ever convinced. Whilst in the presence of his son he treated me
with marked attention and respect, which rendered my situation far more
trying and irksome, as I mistrusted the designs of the one and detested
the other.

I felt that Mr. Moncton acted thus, on purpose to annoy Theophilus, and
make him feel the weight of the resentment, which for good reasons he
dared not openly express; while he praised my talents and application
to business, on purpose to rouse the envy and hatred of my cousin.

One afternoon, as we were sitting over the dessert, Mr. Moncton as
usual addressed his conversation exclusively to me, which irritated
Theophilus to such a degree, that he turned suddenly to his father, and
exclaimed with much violence:

"You seem, sir, to forget you have a son?"

"Yes, when that son forgot what was due to himself, and to his father's
house."

"You have to thank yourself for _that_," was the insolent reply. "I
have trod too closely in your own footsteps, and followed too strictly
the honest principles of my father." He laughed bitterly. "It seems
strange, that you should be surprised, that such an example should have
produced corresponding effects upon the mind and character of your
son."

Shocked at this horrible speech (for in spite of its awful truth, it
seemed terrible from the mouth of a son,) I looked from Theophilus to
his father, expecting to see the dark eye of the latter alive with the
light of passion. But no--there he sat, mute as a marble statue; it was
frightful to contemplate the glossy stare of his glittering eye, the
rigid immobility of his countenance.

"Heavens!" I mentally exclaimed, "can he be insulted in this manner by
his only son, and remain thus calm?" But calm he was, without even
attempting a reply, whilst his insolent son continued.

"By heaven! if you think that advancing that puppy into my place will
bend me to your purpose, you grossly deceive yourself. I pity the
stupid puppet who can thus sneak to his bitterest enemy, to obtain a
position he could never rise to by his own merit. Silly boy!--I laugh
at his folly, our shallow policy, and his credulity."

The words were scarcely out his mouth, when I sprang from