Iknowthatyouaresincereinthinkingso。AndtheringingwelkinisallweshouldhaveheardinMichigan。Butthemoretrulyamanlovesagirl，thelesscanhebeartakingherfromaneasytoahardlife。Iamsurethatallthemenhereagreewithme。"
　　Therewasamurmurandanodfromthemen，andalsofromMrs。Davenport。
　　ButtheotherladiesgavenosignofassentingtoRichard'sproposition。
　　"Inthosedays，"saidhe，"Iwaswhatinthecurtparlanceofthestreetistermedasix-hundred-dollarclerk。Andthoughmyearshadgrownaccustomedtothisappellation，Inevercametofeelthatitcompletelydescribedme。InpassingTiffany'swindowtwiceeachday（formyhabitwastowalktoandfromNassauStreet）Irememberthatseeingathousand-dollarclockexposedforsalecausedmeannoyance。Ofcoursemysalaryasaclerkbroughtmeintonounfavourablecomparisonwiththeclock；andIdoubtifIcouldmakeyouunderstandmysometimesfeelingwhenIpassedTiffany'swindowthatIshouldliketosmashtheclock。"
　　"ImetEthelfrequentlyinsociety，dancingwithher，andsittingnextheratdinners。AndbythetimeIhaddinedatherownhouse，andwalkedseveralafternoonswithher，mylotasasix-hundred-dollarclerkbegantoseemverysadtome。Iwroteversesaboutit，andaboutothersubjectsalso。FromaneveningpassedwithEthel，Iwouldgonextmorningtotheofficeandlookattheotherclerks。Oneofthemwasfifty-five，andhestillreceivedsixhundreddollarshiswagesforthelastthirtyyears。I
　　wasthentwenty-one；andthoughIneverdespairedtotheextentofbelievingthatyearswouldfailtoincreasemyvaluetothefirmbyasinglecent，still，forwhatcouldIhope？Ifmysalarywerethereandthentobedoubled，whatkindofsupportwastwelvehundreddollarstoofferEthel，withherdresses，andherdinners，andherfather'scarriage？FortwoyearsIwaswretchedlyunhappybeneaththemanyhoursofgaietythatcametome，astoeveryyoungman。"
　　"ThosetwoyearswecouldhavebeeninMichigan，"saidEthel，"hadyouunderstood。"
　　"Iknow。Butunderstanding，IbelievethatIshoulddothesameagain。Attheoffice，whennotbusy，Iwrotemorepoetry，andbeganalsotowriteprose，whichIfoundattheoutsetlesseasy。Whenmyfirstwritingswereaccepted（theywerefoursetsofversesupontheSummerResort）IfeltthatIcouldsoonaddressEthel；forIhadmadetendollarsoutsidemysalary。HadshenotbeeninEuropethatJuly，IbelievethatIshouldhavespokentoheratonce。ButIsentherthepaper；andIhavetheletterthatshewroteinreply。"
　　"I"beganEthel。Butshestopped。
　　"Yes，Iknownowthatyoukepttheverses，"saidRichard。"Mynextmanuscript，however，wasrejected。Indeed，IwentonofferingmyliteraryproductionsnearlyeveryweekuntilthefollowingJanuarybeforeasecondacceptancecame。Itwastwentyfivedollarsthistime，andalmostmademefeelagainthatIcouldhandsomelysupportEthel。Butnotquite。Afterthefirstcharmingelationatearningmoneywithmypen，thoseweeksofrefusalhadcausedmetothinkmoresoberly。AndthoughIwasnowbentuponbecominganauthorandleavingNassauStreet，Iburnednobridgesbehindme，butmerelyfilledmysparehourswithwritingandwithshowingittoEthel。"
　　"Itwasnowthatthesecondareaofperturbationofmylifecametome。I
　　saythesecond，becausethefirsthadbeentherecentdawningbeliefthatEthelthoughtaboutmewhenIwasnottheretoremindherofmyself。Thisideahadstirredbutyouwillunderstand。Andnow，whatwasmyproper，myhonourablecourse？ItwasapositivereliefthatatthiscrisisshewenttoFlorida。Icouldthinkmorequietly。Mywritinghadcometobequiteoftenaccepted，sometimesevensolicited。ShouldIspeaktoher，andaskhertowaituntilIcouldputadecentroofoverherhead，orshouldIkeepawayfromheruntilIcouldoffersucharoof？Herfather，Isupposed，coulddosomethingforus。ButIwasnotwillingtobeapensioner。Hisbusinesswerehegenerouswouldbetoprovidecakeandbutter；butthebreadwastobemineandbreadwasstillalongwayoff，accordingtoNewYorkstandards。ThesethingsIthoughtoverwhileshewasinFlorida；yetwhenonceIshouldIfindmyselfwithheragain，I
　　begantofearthatIcouldnotholdmyselffrombutthesearecircumstanceswhichuniversalknowledgerendersitneedlesstomention，andIwillpasstothesecondperturbation。"
　　"Asumofmoneywassuddenlyleftme。ThenforthefirsttimeIunderstoodwhyIhadduringmyboyhoodbeensoperiodicallysenttoseeacrossoldbrotherofmymother's，wholivednearColdSpringontheHudson，andwhomwecalledUncleSnaggletoothwhennoonecouldhearus。UncleGodfrey（forIhavecalledhimbyhisrightnameeversince）diedandleftmewhatinthoseolddayssixyearsagowasstillalargeamount。To-dayweunderstandwhattruerichesmean。Butinthosebygonetimessixyearsago，amilliondollarswasasumconsiderableenoughtobestillseen，asitwere，withthenakedeye。ThatwasmybequestfromUncleGodfrey，andIfeltmyselftobethepossessorofafortune。"
　　AtthispointinRichard'snarrative，asighescapedfromEthel。
　　"Iknow，"heimmediatelysaid，"thatmoneyisalwayswelcome。Butitiscertainlysomeconsolationtoreflecthowslightalossamilliondollarsiscountedto-dayinNewYork。AndIdidnotloseallofit。"
　　"ImetEthelatthetrainonherreturnfromFlorida，andcrossedwithherontheferryfromJerseyCitytoDesbrossesStreet。ThereIwasobligedtoseeherdriveawayinthecarriagewithherfather。"
　　"Mr。Field，"saidMrs。Davenport，"whathourdidthattrainarriveatJerseyCity？"
　　Richardlookedsurprised。"Why，seven-fifteenP。M。，"hereplied。"ThetenthofMarch。"
　　"Dark！"Mrs。Davenportexclaimed。"Mr。Field，youandEthelwereengagedbeforetheferryboatlandedatDesbrossesStreet。"
　　RichardandEthelbothsatstraightup，butremainedspeechless。
　　"Pardonmyinterruption，"saidMrs。Davenport，smiling。"Ididn'twanttomissasinglepointinthisstorydogoon！"
　　Richardwasobligedtoburstoutlaughing，inwhichEthel，afteramoment，followedhim，thoughperhapslessheartily。Andashecontinued，hisblushsubsided。
　　"WithmyUncleGodfrey'slegacyIwasnolongerdependentuponmysalary，ormypen，ormyfather'spurse；andIdecidedthatwiththemoneyproperlyinvested，Icouldmaintainamodestestablishmentofmyown。
　　Ethelagreedwithmeentirely；and，afteralittle，wedisclosedourplanstoourfamilies，andtheymetwithapproval。ThiswasinApril，andwethoughtofOctoberorNovemberforthewedding。Itseemedlongtowait；butitcamenearbeingsomuchlonger，thatIgrowchillynowtothinkofit。"
　　"Ofcourse，IwentsteadilyonwithmyworkattheofficeinNassauStreet，nordidIneglectmywritingentirely。Myattention，however，wasnowturnedtothequestionofinvestingmyfortune。JustroundthecornerfromourofficewasthefirmofBlakeandBeverly，StocksandBonds。
　　Thithermystepsbeganfrequentlytoturn。Mr。Beverlyhadbusinesswhichbroughthimeveryweektotheroomofourpresident；andsohavingasortofacquaintancewithhim，Ifeltiteasiertoconsulthimthantoseekanyotheramongthebrokers，towhichclassIwasawellnightotalstranger。Heverykindlyconsentedtobemyadviser。IwaswellpleasedtofindhowmuchIhadunderratedtheinterest-bearingcapacityofmywindfall。'Fourpercent！'hecried，whenItoldhimthiswastheextentofmyexpectations。'Why，you'retalkinglikeatrustee。'Andthenseeingthathismeaningwasbeyondme，heexplainedinhisbluff，humorousmanner。'Allatrusteecaresforyouknow，ishisreputationforsafety。