During Mr. Underwood's illness and convalescence it was pathetic to
watch his dependence upon Darrell. He seemed to regard him almost as a
son, and when, as his health improved, Darrell spoke of returning to the
camp, he would not hear of it.
Every day after Walcott's return Mr. Underwood was taken to the office,
where he gradually resumed charge, directing the business of the firm
though able to do little himself. As he was still unable to write, he
wished Darrell to act as his secretary, and the latter, glad of an
opportunity to reciprocate Mr. Underwood's many kindnesses to himself,
readily acceded to his wishes. When engaged in this work he used the
room which had formerly been his own office and which of late had been
unoccupied.
Returning to his office after the transaction of some outside business,
to await, as usual, the carriage to convey Mr. Underwood and himself to
The Pines, he heard Walcott's voice in the adjoining room. A peculiar
quality in his tones, as though he were pleading for favor, arrested
Darrell's attention, and he could not then avoid hearing what followed.
"But surely," he was saying, "an amount so trifling, and taking all the
circumstances into consideration, that I regarded myself already one of
your family and looked upon you as my father, you certainly cannot take
so harsh a view of it!"
"That makes no difference whatever," Mr. Underwood interposed sternly;
"misappropriation of funds is misappropriation of funds, no matter what
the amount or the circumstances under which it is taken, and as for your
looking upon me as a father, I wouldn't allow my own son, if I had one,
to appropriate one dollar of my money without my knowledge and consent.
If you needed money you had only to say so, and I would have loaned you
any amount necessary."
"But I regarded this in the nature of a loan," Walcott protested, "only
I was so limited for time I did not think it necessary to speak of it
until my return."
"You were not so limited but that you had time to tamper with the books
and make false entries in them," Mr. Underwood retorted.
"That was done simply to blind the employees, so they need not catch on
that I was borrowing."
"There is no use in further talk," the other interrupted, impatiently;
"what you have done is done, and your talk will not smooth it over.
Besides, I have already told you that I care far less for the money
withdrawn from my personal account than for the way you are conducting
business generally. There is not a client of mine who can say that I
have ever wronged him or taken an unfair advantage of him, and I'll not
have any underhanded work started here now. Everything has got to be
open and above-board."