f a good woman--one of the heirs of
misfortune: and who might not have expected this event, that knew in
August's veins the Scheffer blood was flowing? Yes; the mother of
Josephine was this day disposed to compassion, helped, may be, to that
gentleness by the letter she had recently received from Cromwell, in
which he detailed his successes in a manner that made the heart of the
prophetess to rejoice.

Scheffer hesitated for a moment, only one, over that invitation. But he
did hesitate. And Paul, the lynx-eyed, saw it. Scheffer might invent
whatever excuse seemed best to his own kindliness of heart: Paul was
convinced that his friend felt no confidence in the impulse that had
obtained for him an open door in the house that he had seen, in spite of
Josephine's friendliness, was closed on him all these years.

Paul did not urge the invitation. Instead, he produced a purse--sole
purse of the house of Mitchell, that had not, in a generation, held as
many bank notes as this now contained. He put this purse into Scheffer's
hands, and said, moving back from him a pace:

'That is yours. I knew you fibbed about the tool chest. You had no use
for it. So we have bought it. Look if I have counted the money right. I
knew you would never tell me the truth about the cost, so I've been to
the maker, and asked him a civil question. No dodging, Mr. Scheffer.'

Mr. Scheffer did not 'dodge.' He emptied the purse, counted the bills,
put them into his own leather pocket-book; then he handed the purse to
Paul.

Paul did not expect this. It was plain that he did not. He thought that
Scheffer would have 'stood' against receiving the payment for his gift.
He had said so to Josephine; but Josephine had replied, 'You are
mistaken, Paul. You don't know him, after all. But, if you _are_ right,
insist on his taking the money. Do not go too far, however. If he should
seem to be offended, bring it back to me, and I will attend to it.'

_Was_ he offended? Paul was in doubt. The doubt made him desperate, and
he exclaimed:

'I meant that for a present. Josephine worked it.'

Scheffer's eye fell on the light and pretty trifle; a change came over
him. He would have struggled hard and long before he would have
surrendered that little tissue of floss, but now less than vanity to
him. 'Josephine worked it.' What are words?

'I suppose,' he began; but he did not conclude what he had on his
tongue; he did _not_ say to Paul that he supposed it was Josep