" Turning to his servant, he said: "Summon my
book-keeper, at once."
"Don't bother any further about it," said George, "for it is no longer a
matter which concerns you, but me. I will see to it that Mr. Richmond's
rights are restored to him. It was not for that purpose that I brought
him here. I have an entirely different object in view. Where do you
think we have been? We come, just as we are, from the grave of my
beloved father."
Mr. Bond felt embarrassed and said: "Oh, I feel very much disturbed that
the idea of giving your father a tomb-stone has never been carried out,
but the stone-cutter disappointed me so often."
Then his daughter took up the thread of the conversation and said: "Yes,
we regret so much that this delay has arisen, for only two days ago I
visited your father's grave, and thought how beautiful a monument would
look there, if it were chiseled from Carrara marble."
"If you were there but two days ago," said George, "then you must have
noticed that it has a tombstone, though not of marble. How did it please
you?"
She paled and began to stammer: "I was--I don't know--it must have--"
Then followed a painful silence which was broken by George saying: "It
is evident that you never visited the grave. However, that monument has
stood there several months.
"It pains me deeply, Mr. Bond, that you did not consider my father, who
so generously enriched you, worthy of a slight token of your thanks. Let
me tell you that this night my relationship to you changes.
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