with civility. He knew men in the city who were
absolute bears to their employees; but they were blackguards.

He, perhaps, ought to have discharged Clark without a word; that would
have been "business;" but really he ought not to have spoken to him as
he did. Clark undoubtedly acted with dignity. Livingstone had had to
apologize to him and ask him to remain, and had made the amend (to
himself) by giving him fifty dollars extra for the ten nights' work. He
could only justify the act now by reflecting that Clark had more than
once suggested investments which had turned out most fortunately.

Livingstone determined to give Clark this year a hundred dollars--no,
fifty--he must not spoil him, and it really was not "business."

The thought of his liberality brought to Livingstone's mind the
donations that he always made at the close of the year. He might as well
send off the cheques now.

He took from a locked drawer his private cheque-book and turned the
stubs thoughtfully. He had had that cheque-book for a good many years.
He used to give away a tenth of his income. His father before him used
to do that. He remembered, with a smile, how large the sums used to seem
to him. He turned back the stubs only to see how small a tenth used to
be. He no longer gave a tenth or a twentieth or even a--he had no
difficulty in deciding the exact percentage he gave; for whenever he
thought now of the sum he was worth, the figures themselves, in
clean-cut lines, popped before his eyes. It was very curious. He could
actually see them in his own handwriting. He rubbed his eyes, and the
figures disappeared.

Well, he gave a good deal, anyhow--a good deal more than most men, he
reflected. He looked at the later stubs and was gratified to find how
large the amounts were,--they showed how rich he was,--and what a
diversified list of charities he contributed to: hospitals, seminaries,
asylums, churches, soup-kitchens, training schools of one kind or
another. The stubs all bore the names of those through whom he
contributed--they were mostly fashionable women of his acquaintance, who
either for diversion or from real charity were interested in these
institutions.

Mrs. Wright's name appeared oftenest. Mrs. Wright was a woman of fortune
and very prominent, he reflected, but she was really kind; she was just
a crank, and, somehow, she appeared really to believe in him. Her
husband, Livingstone did not like: a cold, selfish man, who cared for