Florence and John were to go too, as they did not wish to be left at the hotel, but they were to remain in the carriage while Grimkie and his aunt went into the office.

Grimkie's father was at the hotel at the time that they set out.

'Now, Grimkie," said he, while Mrs. Morelle was putting on her bonnet and shawl, "do you know where you are going ?"

"Yes, sir," said Grimkie, "you gave me the address of the banker, and I have got it in my pocket."

"Very good," said his father.

"And now do you know how to do the business when you get there ?"

"No, sir," said Grimkie.

"Very good again," said his father. "It is not necessary that you should know how to do the business. It is not your duty to know. It is the duty of the clerks there to do the business for you. But do you know what the business is that you wish to have done ?"

"Yes, sir," said Grimkie. "To get a letter of credit."

"In whose name ?" asked his father.
"Mrs. Jane Morelle's," said Grimkie.
"For how much ?" asked his father.
"For five hundred pounds," said Grimkie.

"How long to run ?" asked his father. "For one year," said Grimkie.

"Very good," said his father. "That is ali you want to know. And remember, in al your travels, that if you have any business to do of any kind, in any strange place, all that is necessary for you is to know distinctly what you want, and to be able to state it intelligibly. The people of the establishment will attend to all the rest."

"Yes, sir," said Grimkie. "I will remember it."

Mrs. Morelle, who had been standing before the glass putting on her bonnet and shawl during this conversation, listened to it with much interest, and she felt great satisfaction and relief in hearing it. She had very naturally felt some uneasiness and apprehension in setting out upon such a tour, at the thought of being called upon often, as she knew she must be, at railway stations, and public offices of various kinds, to transact business without knowing at all how the business was to be done.

But if all that is necessary in such places, she said to herself, is that I should know what I want, and be able to state it intelligibly, I think I shall get along very well.

In fact, Grimkie's father meant what he said

much more for Mrs. Morelle than for Grimkie. He knew very well that boys of Grimkie's age were not usually very diffident, or distrustful of themselves, in regard to the transaction of business of any kind, and that they did not usually stand in need of any special encouragement.

When Grimkie entered the banking-house where he was to procure the letter, he was at first somewhat abashed by the scene which presented itself to view. He saw a very large room with doors opening in various directions into other rooms, all full of desks, and clerks, and people going and coming. There was a long counter with high desks, surmounted by little balustrades rising above it, and open spaces here and there, where people were receiving money, or delivering papers, or transacting other business. Grimkie was for a moment quite bewildered, but after a moment's hesitation he recalled to mind the instructions which he had received, and he went boldly up to the clerk who was nearest to him and said,

"I came to see about a letter of credit."

"Second desk to the right," said the clerk, pointing with his pen, but without raising his eyes from his work.

Grimkie, followed by Mrs. Morelle, went in the direction indicated. The desk was a very

large and handsome one, and an elderly gentleman of very respectable appearance was sitting at it writing a letter. He went on with his work, but in a moment, glancing his eye at Grimkie, he said,

"Well, my son ?"

"I came to see about a letter of credit," said Grimkie.

"What name?" asked the gentleman.

"Mrs. Jane Morelle," replied Grimkie. "Ah!" said the gentleman, and looking up from his work his eye fell upon Mrs. Morelle, whom he now for the first time saw. He immediately rose from his seat and offered Mrs. Morelle a chair.

"It is all arranged about your letter of credit," said he, as he resumed his seat, "except to take your signatures. You will only wish to draw in London and Paris, I understand ?"

"Yes, sir," said Mrs. Morelle. "Mr. Jay thought that that would be all that we should require."

The gentleman then called to a handsomelooking young clerk who was writing at a desk near by, and asked him if he would be kind enough to take Mrs. Morelle's signature. So the clerk conducted her to a table at a little distance, near a window, where there were writing

materials, and asked her to write her name three or four times, at some little distance apart, upon a sheet of paper which he gave her. Grimkie followed his aunt to the table, and the clerk, after having given the directions, went away and left Mrs. Morelle to write at her leisure.

"I'm all in a trepidation," said Mrs. Morelle, taking the pen, "and it won't be written well."

"That will be just right, then, Auntie," said Grimkie, "for you will be all in a trepidation when you go to draw the money in the foreign cities, and so the writing will be the same."

Mrs. Morelle smiled, and then proceeded to write her name four times, in a column on the left hand side of the paper, each signature being at the distance of two inches from the other.

By the time that she had finished writing, the clerk came and took the paper. He then said to her that if she would remain seated a few minutes, he would bring the letter of credit to her.

Accordingly, in a few minutes he returned, bringing with him a letter folded and enclosed in a very strong envelope. Mrs. Morelle took the envelope, and then bowing to the clerk, and also to the gentleman at the desk, she and Grimkie retired.

As soon as they had returned to the hotel, Grimkie was curious to open the letter of credit