“I’ll see what can be done,” said he, at last.

“And will you do it afterwards?” she asked, archly.

“Yes, I will, dear, I assure you,” he rejoined.

“Then I know it will be done,” said she, confidently; “and none of us will be the worse off for it, I am sure.”

After leaving home, Mr. Burrell went immediately to the office of Mr. Blatchford; and after having procured Charlie’s portfolio, he started in the direction of his own establishment.  He did not by any means carry on so extensive a business as Mr. Blatchford, and employed only two elderly men as journeymen.  After he had sat down to work, one of them remarked, “Tucker has been here, and wants some rough cuts executed for a new book.  I told him I did not think you would engage to do them; that you had given up that description of work.”

“I think we lose a great deal, Cummings, by being obliged to give up those jobs,” rejoined Mr. Burrell.

“Why don’t you take an apprentice then,” he suggested; “it’s just the kind of work for them to learn upon.”

“Well I’ve been thinking of that,” replied he, rising and producing the drawings from Charlie’s portfolio.  “Look here,” said he, “what do you think of these as the work of a lad of twelve or fourteen, who has never had more than half a dozen lessons?”

“I should say they were remarkably well done,” responded Cummings.  “Shouldn’t you say so, Dalton?” The party addressed took the sketches, and examined them thoroughly, and gave an approving opinion of their merits.

“Well,” said Mr. Burrell, “the boy that executed those is in want of a situation, and I should like to take him; but I thought I would consult you both about it first.  I met with him under very singular circumstances, and I’ll tell you all about it.”  And forthwith he repeated to them the occurrences of the morning, dwelling upon the most affecting parts, and concluding by putting the question to them direct, as to whether they had any objections to his taking him.

“Why no, none in the world,” readily answered Cummings.  “Laws me! colour is nothing after all; and black fingers can handle a graver as well as white ones, I expect.”

“I thought it best to ask you, to avoid any after difficulty.  You have both been in the establishment so long, that I felt that you ought to be consulted.”

“You needn’t have taken that trouble,” said Dalton.  “You might have known that anything done by your father’s son, would be satisfactory to us.  I never had anything to do with coloured people, and haven’t anything against them; and as long as you are contented I am.”

“Well, we all have our little prejudices against various things; and as I did not know how you both would feel, I thought I wouldn’t take any decided steps without consulting you; but now I shall consider it settled, and will let the lad know that I will take him.”

In the evening, he hastened home at an earlier hour than usual, and delighted his wife by saying—­“I have succeeded to a charm, my dear—­there wasn’t the very slightest objection.  I’m going to take the boy, if he wishes to come.”  “Oh, I’m delighted,” cried she, clapping her hands.  “Cry hurrah for papa!” said she to the baby; “cry hurrah for papa!”