it, talking to his mother, of whom he was very fond, and taking
off his hat to every person he met, whether old or young, rich or poor.

'Billy is an idiot, but very kind-hearted,' people said of him, and in
truth he was popular with everybody, especially with the men in his
father's employ, who all went to him for favors, or for an increase of
wages; for if Billy had any business it was in his father's office,
where he pretended to look after matters and keep the books straight.
Such had been the growth of Peterkin during the past nine years. 'He had
got clean to the front,' he said, 'and was hob-nobbin' with Squire
Harrenton, and Judge St. Claire, and the Tracys,' all of whom shrugged
their shoulders and laughed at him in secret, but treated him civilly to
his face, for, deny it as we may, money has a mighty power, and will
open many a door which nothing else could move.

'Coarse and ignorant as a horse, but not so bad after all' was what
people said of him now; and in fact Peterkin had improved and softened a
good deal with the accession of wealth. Nobody gave so largely, or
lavishly either, to everything, as he did, while to his employees he was
always generous and considerate. Once he thought to join the church,
thinking that would add to his respectability; but when talked with by
his clergyman he showed himself so lamentably deficient in every
necessary qualification that he was advised to wait a while, which he
did; but he rented the most expensive pew he could find, and carried the
largest prayer-book of any one, and read the loudest, stumbling over the
words frightfully, and kept his head down the longest, so long, indeed,
that he once went to sleep, and had quite a little nap before his wife
nudged him and told him to get up.

'Good Lord deliver us!' Was his ejaculation, as he sprang to his feet,
and, adjusting his glasses, looked fiercely round at the amused
congregation.

So far as money and display were concerned, the St. Claires and Mrs.
Atherton had not kept up with Peterkin. On the contrary, as he grew into
society they gradually withdrew, until at last Dolly Tracy had it all
her own way and looked upon herself as the lady _par excellence_ of the
town. She had been to Europe. She had seen the queen; she had had some
dresses made at Worth's; she had picked up a few French words which she
used on all occasions, with but little regard to their appropriateness.
She had decorated a tea set, and was as un