She involuntarily averted her
glance. Instantly Orin gathered up several of the bills quickly,
conveying them out of sight with a guilty air as if he were purloining
them. Then he held the remainder toward his companion.
"There," he said, "I should have kept my promise if you hadn't hinted
by speaking of Fenton. Of course you understand that I can't give you
anything very tremendous, but there's a hundred and fifty dollars."
Melissa flushed and drew back.
"I had no idea of hinting," was her reply. "Of course I thank you very
much, but you ought to give the money to John, not to me."
"No," Orin insisted, "you helped me with Mrs. Fenton, and John might as
well know that I wouldn't put this money into a hole just to please
him. I know John. He'll set more by you if the money comes through
you."
"But I don't believe," protested she, "that what I said to Mrs. Fenton
really made any difference."
But in Orin's abounding good nature her disclaimer passed unheeded. He
pressed the money upon her, and went away full of the consciousness of
having exercised a noble philanthropy.
It is possible that had he waited to read Fred Rangely's criticism upon
his _America_ which appeared in the _Daily Observer_ next morning he
might never have made this contribution toward paying his father's
debts. With Bently's help Rangely had discovered the original of the
statue, and had then written a careful comparison between the work of
Eutychides and that of Stanton.
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