CHAPTER XXX.
THE UNEXPECTED FORTUNE.
The next act of Faith's was one of noble heroism. In that moment ofmisery she forced herself to think only of her mother, thus ignoring herown position in the matter entirely.
Without a word she walked back into the kitchen, leaving brother andsister together, and taking little Dick in her lap, tried to think thematter over as calmly as possible.
It was an embarrassing position, look at it as she would, but not somuch for herself as for the man whom she now knew to be her own uncle.
As the moments passed she heard her mother's voice grow more and morepleading, and although she could not hear what was being said, sheconjectured rightly that she was urging her brother to accede tosomething, while he as steadily refused the accession.
Finally the hall door closed and Faith heard him descending the stairs.In an instant she hurried to join her mother in the parlor.
"Oh, Faith!" cried her mother, "can you believe it, dear, it was brotherCharles, alive and well, when I had given him up for dead over and overagain! And, Faith, you will never have to work another day, for we arealmost rich, dear brother says. He has fifty thousand dollars in trustfor me from my father's estate, which has only lately been settled!"
"Oh, mother, is it possible?" cried Faith in surprise; "but why did heleave so soon? You had surely not finished talking!"
Mrs. Marvin shook her head in a very perplexed manner.
"He seems sadly changed, Faith. I don't know what ails him. I begged himto wait and see my daughter, but he refused almost angrily."
"Oh, well, never mind!" replied Faith blushing. "He will probably comeback again. I would not worry about it, mother."
"But I can't understand it," said Mrs. Marvin, sighing. "It seemsunnatural that Charles should not wish to see my daughter."
Faith tried to cheer her, but she was almost crying herself. Anothershock like this would have brought on hysterics. It had been a dreadfultrial to her to keep that strange conversation from her mother, but nowshe was profoundly thankful that she had been able to do so, and almostinvoluntarily she whispered a prayer that no word of hers might everdisturb her dear mother's confidence in her only brother.
The thought of no more work did not once enter her mind. It was withsome difficulty that her mother finally got her to talk about their goodfortune.
"It is not for myself that I am most thankful," said Mrs. Marvin, "but Iam so glad that you can be at home once more! No more wearing out souland body in the service of others."
Faith looked at her thoughtfully before she answered.
"How soon can we have the money?" she asked.
"Right away," said Mrs. Marvin; "it is invested in this city. I haveonly to be identified at the bank by my brother."
"I am very glad, mother," was Faith's smiling reply, "for now we canhire a better flat and have a woman to do the work and look aftereverything, but about my working, dear, please don't think of that justnow--really I seem to feel a little bit sorry to think that there is noneed of my working."
"You mean that you are interested in those poor girls, I suppose." saidher mother. "Well, there will be other ways to help them now--you neednot work among them."
"But I am sure that it is the best way to be of use to them," said Faithquickly. "If they thought I had money they would not accept meseriously. They would say, as they have said of other rich women, thatmy interest is a 'fad' and that I could 'afford to talk religion withmy pocket full of money.'"
"You have learned their arguments quickly," said Mrs. Marvin with asmile, "but listen, Faith! There is some one in the hall! It is possiblethat Charles has returned for something."
Faith opened the door, nervously, but a look of relief soon crossed herface. The second caller was none other than young Mr. Denton.
"Thank goodness, I've found you!" exclaimed the young man coolly. "I'vebeen wandering around these halls for the past half hour, either I'mawfully stupid or the bells are all wrong, for I've rung them all andnobody has answered! You should supply your friends with compasses andcharts, Miss Marvin, so they won't get lost when they come to see you!"
Faith had to smile, although she was a trifle indignant. She could notimagine what had brought the young man to her apartments.
"Did you wish to see me about anything?" she asked bluntly as herthoughts flew instinctively to the poisoned candy. "If you do, pleasecome in, and I will be glad to listen."
"I do, indeed," responded the young man. "I should not have dreamed ofintruding upon you without a very good reason."
Faith was almost sure it was the candy now, although she had beenassured by his father that he had been told nothing about it.
As she introduced him to her mother, she was anxious and excited, andone conjecture as to his errand followed swiftly after another. Whenthey were seated Mr. Denton started at once on his errand, and as hetalked he gazed at Faith earnestly, as though trying to read heremotion.
"My errand is a purely personal one," he began, "and you ladies maythink it a selfish one also, but the fact is I have come for a littleassistance. I want you, Miss Marvin, to help me reason with my father."
Faith made an exclamation of unfeigned surprise.
"I don't understand," she said slowly. "What is wrong with your father,Mr. Denton?"
"That's what I'd like to know," was the emphatic answer, "but betweenyou and I, it's my opinion that he's crazy!"
Mrs. Marvin and Faith both stared at him curiously, for this time therewas more sadness than disrespect in his language.
"Listen to this," he went on quickly, "and see if I am not right! I willput the situation before you without a particle of exaggeration."
"Wait!" said Mrs. Marvin. "What does all this concern us, sir? Are younot doing wrong to talk to strangers about your father's business?"
A smile passed over the young man's features, and he turned toward Faithwith a glance of admiration.
"I think not," he said shortly, "and for this simple reason--he admiresyour daughter above any girl that he has met; she has influenced him inthe past and can influence him again in the future. And he is sadly inneed of influence, I can assure you," he continued, "for, at the presentmoment, he is on the verge of two things, they are the verge ofbankruptcy and the verge of insanity!"
Mrs. Marvin looked shocked, but Faith's brow became clearer. It wascoming to her now what was troubling young Denton.
The young man went on with hardly a perceptible pause, his face growingmore handsome and manly as he became interested and excited.
"My father to-day is worth a million dollars, a large percentage of ithaving been made in his present business. He is prominent both in socialand business circles, and up to the present his ability has never beenquestioned. To-day he has changed all this as far as it is possible tochange it in the short period of a week. He is making arrangements totransact his business on what he calls a 'religious basis,' which meansthat he intends to transact worldly affairs by heavenly methods, and itdoes not take much intelligence to see where he will terminate. He willbe a bankrupt in five years, if he isn't sooner, for no fortune in theworld would float such an enterprise. Now, I can't see this go onwithout making an effort to stop it, but as I have little or noinfluence with him myself, I have come to Miss Marvin to ask her to helpme."
"What do you wish my daughter to do?" Mrs. Marvin asked the questionwith a little amusement.
"I hardly know," was his honest answer, "but if she could just inducehim to think that God did not expect such a sacrifice and that it wasonly necessary to do good in moderation, it might act as a restraint onhis wholesale generosity, put a brake, so to speak, on his downwardcourse to failure."
"But I think it an upward course to victory!" said Faith withenthusiasm. "And you have no idea how I honor your father for taking it!Just think, Mr. Denton, what good his money can do! Why, it is a dutywhich he owes by right to God, for who else gave him the ability to makeall this money?"
"
Do you think God gave it to him?" asked Mr. Denton, quickly. "Well, Ishould have said that his most successful methods were invented by thedevil!"
"Then it is time to put his ill-gotten wealth to good account! I amastonished, Mr. Denton, that you should wish him to retain it!"
Faith's eyes were fairly blazing now, but the look of admiration onlydeepened upon young Denton's features.
There was a cry from little Dick in the kitchen just then, and Mrs.Marvin rose hastily and excused herself to go to him.
"Miss Marvin," urged the young man, "don't be harsh in your judgment,please! Remember I have been used to luxury all my life. My mother hasbeen used to it--we cannot bear to lose it."
He bent toward the young girl as he said the words, and as Faith saw theeagerness in his face, a great wave of pity surged up within her.
He was thoughtless, even wicked, but he was not altogether to blame. Thevery luxury that he craved was responsible for it.
"I would like to help you if I could," she said very gently, "but yousurely would not have me go against my own conscience."
"No, I don't know that I would," said young Denton slowly, "for if youdid you would not be what you are just now, the embodiment of all thatis best and sweetest in woman."
For Gold or Soul? Page 30