his few home hours had an awe of him against which she struggled as something unfair to her consciousness of wider thoughts and deeper motives but it was of no use to struggle a character at unity with that what it every impulse and has no visions beyond the distinctly possible � is strong by its very you may imagine that tom s more and more obvious to his was well fitted to the maternal and and mr s favorable reports and to mr concerning tom s for business began to be discussed amongst them with various acceptance he was likely it appeared to do the credit without causing it any expense and trouble mrs had always thought it strange if tom s excellent complexion so entirely that of the did not argue a certainty that he would turn out well his errors of running down the and general to his only indicating a tinge of blood which he had doubtless mr who had contracted a cautious thb mill on thb fl b liking for ever since his spirited and sensible behavior when the execution was in the house was now into a resolution to further his prospects � some time when an opportunity offered of doing so in a prudent manner without ultimate loss but mrs observed that she was not given to speak without book as some people were that those who said least were most likely to find their words made good and when the right moment came it would be seen who could do something better than talk uncle a r silent meditation for a period of several came distinctly to the conclusion that when a young man was likely to do well it was better not to with him tom meanwhile had shown no disposition to rely on any one but himself though with a natural towards all indications of favorable opinion he was lad to see his look in on him sometimes in a friendly way during business hours and glad to be invited to dine at his house though he usually preferred declining on the ground that he was not sure of punctual but about a year ago something had occurred which induced tom to test his s friendly disposition bob who rarely returned from one of his rounds without seeing tom and awaited him on the bridge as he was coming home from st s one evening that they might have a little private talk he took the liberty of asking if mr tom had ever thought of making money by trading a bit on his own account trading how v tom wished to know why by sending out a bit of a cargo to foreign ports because bob had a particular friend who had offered to do a little business for him in that way in goods and would be glad to serve mr tom on the same footing tom was interested at once and begged for full explanation wondering he had not thought of this plan before he was so well pleased with the prospect of a speculation that might change the slow process of addition into that he at once determined to mention the matter to his father and get his consent to appropriate some of the in the tin box to the purchase of a small cargo he would rather not have consulted his father but he had just paid his last quarter s money into the tin box and there was no other resource all the were there for mr would not consent to put the money out at interest lest he should lose it since he had in the purchase of some com and had lost by it he could not be easy without keeping the money under his eye tom approached the subject carefully as he was seated on thi mill on the hearth with his father that evening and mr listened leaning forward in his arm chair and looking up in tom s face with a glance his first impulse was to give a positive refusal hut he was in some awe of tom s wishes and since he had had the sense of being an unlucky � he had lost some of his old and determination to be master he took the key of the from his pocket got out the key of the large chest and fetched down the tin box � slowly as if he were trying to the moment of a painful parting then he seated himself against the table and opened the box with that little key which he in his waistcoat pocket in all vacant moments there they were the dingy bank notes and the bright sovereigns and he counted them out on the table � only a hundred and sixteen pounds in two years after au the how much do you want then he said speaking as if the words burnt his lips suppose i begin with the thirty six pounds father said tom mr separated this sum from the rest and keeping his hand over it said � it s as much as i can save out o my pay in a year yes father it is such slow work � saving out of the little money we get and in this way we might double our ay my lad said the father keeping his hand on the money but you might lose it � you might lose a year o my ufe � and i haven t got many tom was silent and you know i wouldn t pay a with the first hundred because i wanted to see it all in a and when i see it i m sure on t if you trust to luck it s sure to be against ine it s old harry s got the luck in his hands and lose one year i shall never pick it up again � death overtake me mr s voice trembled 