Four days later, Scott received the following note:

    "Dear Scott: I am at the Windsor Hotel. Can you call this evening?  Windermere."

Scott lost no time in responding to the invitation. He was greeted with the greatest cordiality.

"I am delighted to see you," said the earl. "I missed you more than I anticipated after you left me. Now I have a favor to ask."

"What is it?" asked Scott.

"I have taken a suite of rooms here, and I have set aside a bedroom for you. I shall be in the city for four weeks, and I want you with me."

"I am afraid you have forgotten that I am only a boy working for my living."

"No; I don\'t forget it. I respect you more for it. In fact, Scott, I want your company. Will you come?"

"Thank you, Mr. Grant—I can\'t refuse. I seem to forget that you are an earl."

[Pg 280]

"That is what I wish."

Just then there was a knock at the door, and a hall boy entered with a card.

The person whose name it bore came up directly afterward.

He brought a dinner invitation from a well-known social club. The earl good-naturedly accepted.

The visitor regarded Scott inquiringly.

"Is this young gentleman one of your party, my lord?" he asked.

"Yes, sir. It is my young friend, Mr. Scott Walton."

"Then I am authorized to include him in the invitation."

Scott looked at the earl inquiringly.

"I accept for him," said the earl, promptly.

He smiled when his visitor left the room.

"You are in for it, Scott," he said. "I advise you to order a dress suit at once, if you are not provided with one."

"Won\'t the club think they are imposed upon when they find that I am only a humble business boy?"

"You are not invited on that ground, but as my intimate friend."

[Pg 281]

"Then, Mr. Grant, I will throw the whole responsibility upon you," said Scott, smiling.

"I will accept it. How will it do for me to dub you Sir Scott Walton?"

"It might embarrass me in my business."

"True. Then you shall be plain Mr. Walton. Mind that you get a handsome suit. It will be expected, as you belong to my party."

One of the leading New York dailies, a few days later, in describing the dinner, after giving the earl\'s modest little speech, continued thus: "The earl was accompanied by a handsome young gentleman, Mr. Scott Walton, who is understood to be a near relative. Mr. Walton was called upon for a speech, but modestly declined."

When Ezra Little read this paragraph, he was immensely surprised.

"Read that, Loammi," he said.

"What a humbug that boy is!" said Loammi, much disgusted.

"Humbug or not, he has got into the best society and his success reflects credit upon us, his cousins."

"The idea of his palming himself off as a relative of the earl!"

"Perhaps he didn\'t. It was probably a conjecture of the reporter."

[Pg 282]

"I don\'t believe it. I feel sure Scott put him up to it. I\'d like to tell him it is all a mistake."

"I won\'t allow you to do anything of the sort. As the matter stands, it may lead to the supposition that we also are related to the earl."

This seemed such a clever idea that Ezra determined to act upon it.

When one of his business acquaintances inquired whether Scott was really a connection of the earl\'s, he answered: "He is related to me, and there may also be a distant relationship to the earl. Probably the earl authorized the statement."

"Why don\'t you invite the earl to dinner?"

"Egad, I will!" exclaimed the merchant.

The next day Scott received the following note from Mr. Little:

    "Dear Scott: Can you induce your friend, the earl, to accept an invitation to dinner at our house any day next week? It would give me great pleasure, as an Englishman born, to pay some attention to so distinguished a representative of my native country. The choice of the day rests entirely with the earl. We shall be only too glad to receive him at any time.

    "Sincerely, your cousin,   Ezra Little."

[Pg 283]

Scott showed this letter to the earl.

The earl smiled.

"I am glad," he said, "that I have been t............