When he was there the two
young men did all the talking, and they pounded each other
immensely. But still there grew up a sort of friendship between
them.
"Mr. Beckard seems quite to take to him," said Mrs. Bell to her
eldest daughter.
"It is his great good nature, mother," replied Hetta.
It was at the end of the second month when Aaron took another step
in advance--a perilous step. Sometimes on evenings he still went on
with his drawing for an hour or so; but during three or four
evenings he never asked any one to look at what he was doing. On
one Friday he sat over his work till late, without any reading or
talking at all; so late that at last Mrs. Bell said, "If you're
going to sit much longer, Mr. Dunn, I'll get you to put out the
candles." Thereby showing, had he known it or had she, that the
mother's confidence in the young man was growing fast. Hetta knew
all about it, and dreaded that the growth was too quick.
"I've finished now," said Aaron; and he looked carefully at the
cardboard on which he had been washing in his water-colours. "I've
finished now." He then hesitated a moment; but ultimately he put
the card into his portfolio and carried it up to his bedroom. Who
does not perceive that it was intended as a present to Susan Bell?
The question which Aaron asked himself that night, and which he
hardly knew how to answer, was this.
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