_VIRTUE REWARDED_.
On leaving the warehouse one evening, soon after his return from Wales,
Mr. Roberts remarked, “You must dine with us to-morrow, Mr. Wynn, and my
old friend Jones will accompany you. He has already arranged to form one
of our party, and I am glad for my own sake and yours that we shall have
the pleasure of his society. He is one of the best men I know in this
huge city.”
As soon as the ladies had retired, Mr. Roberts pushed the bottle to Mr.
Jones, with the observation, “This is your favourite wine, and please to
make yourself as free with it as you’re welcome. I think Mr. Wynn and
you, my son, prefer sherry. I’ll try port, which is my favourite drink.”
After a general conversation on the general topics of the day, Mr.
Roberts turned to Mr. Jones, and said that he thanked him most gratefully
for having pleaded so eloquently the claims of his young friend, Wynn.
“You will doubtless remember, Jones, that I was most unwilling to receive
him into the establishment, in the first place on his own account;
secondly, I did not consider mine a proper place for a young gentleman of
his social position. You, however, urged his claims, and considering our
personal friendship, and my previous connection with the Wynn family, I
at last reluctantly yielded to your wishes, though in doing so I was
perfectly aware that I should create in the mind of McLiver hostile
feelings to myself and Cadwgan there. I little expected that my
cashier’s objection would spring from conviction of wrongdoing. I
believed in his integrity, and had confidence in his honesty; and as he
apparently served me faithfully I was prepared to yield to some extent to
his wishes, though he was well aware of my unbending disposition when
once I had resolved to carry a particular point. McLiver having
discovered my resolve to be Mr. Wynn’s friend, I must own that he did not
oppose my wishes to the extent I at first anticipated.
“Now from the first day on which Mr. Wynn entered upon his duties, I am
bound to say that I found him plodding, persevering, and honest; his
first and chief concern being to promote my interest. In this, he set us
all an example we should do well to copy.
“To the proceedings of the other day—a day which to me will be ever
memorable, I will not allude further than to express a hope that I have
Cadwgan’s complete pardon for having for once suspected his dishonesty.
And this is a fitting occasion for me to thank you, Jones, for the deep
interest you have shown in my affairs in connection with our young
friend. Had Cadwgan not done what he did, the scoundrel’s rascality
would in all probability have effected my ruin. But how came you, Mr.
Wynn, to suspect his dishonesty?”
“My tale, sir, is soon told,” remarked Cadwgan. “From time to time
little things cropped up in connection with business transactions and in
the accounts, the appearance of which I did not at all like. To my mind
there was satisfactory and conclusive evidence that the man was not
dealing honourably by you, and that you were a victim of his dishonesty.
You must bear in mind this, I had but a suspicion. I could not prove
that what I suspected was actual and real.
“Being in a state of doubt, I really did not know what to do. I could
not suggest my suspicion to you because the person was in your
confidence. After thinking over the matter some days and nights I
resolved to sound my fellow-clerks, Messrs. Sykes and Williams, for I
knew I could depend on them. Strange to say they had long suspected his
guilt, but were afraid to give expression to their opinion, because Mr.
McLiver appeared all-powerful.
“After a conference we agreed to get up evidence. We ascertained he was
living at the rate of £2000 or £3000 a year, though he had no income but
his salary. We found, too, that he paid for all goods when ordered. On
making further inquiry we discovered that his cousin Donald, though he
had a smaller salary than I had, spent several pounds weekly in
dissipation.
“Then the constant visits of relatives who are employed in similar
establishments in the city, and the worthless stuff sent from the houses
where they were engaged, these things awakened in my mind the strongest
suspicion that the parties were conspiring together to rob you and their
employers.
“As the books were all in McLiver’s hands and under his control, we could
do nothing; but when you appointed me to the post of accountant, Mr.
Sykes, Mr. Williams, and myself resolved to ascertain if our suspicion
was well founded. During the past three months we have given the whole
of our spare time during the day to the past five years’ accounts, while
we seldom left the office until late at night. The result of our labours
you know. I fancy one of the clerks in my department must have told
McLiver what we were doing, and doubtless his guilt awoke in his mind a
sense of the dangerous position in which he had placed himself. Then in
order if possible to crush me before the work was done, he and his cousin
Donald concocted the charge against me—themselves being the robbers. I
do not for a moment think they wished my punishment. What they did
desire was to secure my expulsion from your establishment, that thus
their malpractices might possibly remain undetected.”
“But where are his relations employed, Mr. Wynn?” asked Mr. Roberts.
“Mr. McNab, his uncle, is cashier to the Chinese Tea Company, and his
brother is with Morant & Hogsflesh.”
“Do you really believe these parties were confederates?”
“No doubt of it, sir.”
“In that case what would you advise?”
“In justice to yourself and the high reputation of your house, it is your
duty to furnish them with the whole of our discovered facts. It is
important they should be informed of their servants’ dishonesty.”
“By gad, Mr. Wynn, I’ll advise their punishment; and if their employers
won’t do it, I will.”
“I am afraid that your advice will be too late.”
“How so, Cadwgan?”
“Both have already fled to the Continent. It appears that they, like
McLiver, helped themselves to their employers’ money before they went.”
“But how did they find out McLiver was in prison, Mr. Wynn?”
“Some one of your servants or clerks must have carried the news to them.”
“We’ll get the scoundrels back, cost what it will. To-morrow the
officers of justice shall fly in pursuit. We’ll find them somewhere.”
“No doubt, sir, they deserve severe punishment, though I am sorry for
McNab, because he has a large family, and in punishing him you will
punish his innocent wife and children.”
“They, Mr. Wynn, shall not come to want. While resolving to punish the
guilty, I’ll see to the interests of the guiltless.”
“Give me your hand, friend Roberts,” said Mr. Jones. “You are a noble
fellow; your heart is in the right place; and I’ll join you in so holy a
work.”
“I must now turn,” said Mr. Roberts, “to a more pleasant theme. It has
been by you, Mr. Wynn, I have been saved from ruin. You have business
talents of a high order. I would trust you with untold gold. You have
proved your fidelity and tact under circumstances the most trying. In
our relationship I plainly see the finger of Heaven. I now plainly see
that it is my interest no less than your own that our relationship should
be closer than it has hitherto been. The business, as you are aware, is
wholly my own. Thank Heaven, I possess all the wealth I desire.
However, I love work, and at present I’m not quite prepared to throw off
the harness. I shall do so, however, in a few years. In view of that
day I think it well to prepare for it. I have therefore resolved to take
into partnership my son Rhys and you, and we’ll take equal profits. The
money in the business I shall regard as a set-off against your ability
and talent, and when I go out I will leave in your joint hands the
capital necessary for successfully carrying on the concern. Are you
prepared, Mr. Wynn, to accept my offer?”
“With deep gratitude and thanks I do indeed accept your offer, Mr.
Roberts. I shall never be able to repay you for your goodness and
kindness. To me you have been always kind, always generous, ever noble
and disinterested. To Mr. Jones and you I owe my present position and
the prospects before me. My gratitude, sir, I shall carry with me to the
grave.”
“I rejoice,” remarked Mr. Jones, who had hitherto been an almost silent
listener, “to see this day, and I shall pray Heaven that the sun of
prosperity may ever continue to shine on your concern, and that never an
incident may occur calculated to disturb the kindly feeling and mutual
confidence between you, friend Roberts, and your new partners.”
“To that, Jones, I say amen. Still I think there is not much danger on
that score. We all know each other; that’s an important point. Unless
my suspicions are wrong, which I think is not likely, that roving son of
mine has managed to fall in love; and I warn you, Mr. Wynn, especially if
you desire your sister to become your little housekeeper, to take care of
her. If you don’t do so, his siege on her heart’s citadel will prove, I
fear, successful. Well, I forgive him for making love without his
father’s permission; and you, Mr. Wynn, must pardon him too.”
* * * * *
“Now, Mr. Wynn, in view of our new arrangements, what alterations would
you propose in the conduct of the business, bearing this in mind, that
you will have to undertake the purchase of all goods?”
“In that case, Mr. Roberts, I recommend your appointing Mr. Williams to
the office I now fill. He is a relative of yours, and is a thoroughly
competent man. Then Mr. Sykes would succeed McLiver. His honesty and
integrity are beyond question. Had it not been for their able
assistance, I should never have succeeded in unravelling the mysteries of
your affairs.”
“Your proposal, Mr. Wynn, does infinite credit to your sagacity. Let the
arrangements be carried out at once. The deed of partnership has already
been prepared, and now awaits your signature. My son signed it before he
left on his recent tour.”
Under the new management, the company of Roberts, Wynn & Roberts, grew
mightily. From one end of the kingdom to the other their teas were in
great repute. They had for their patrons royal princes and the nobles of
the land. The demand grew year after year, and the increased sale
brought large additional profits. During the fifth year of the
partnership, these profits amounted to £45,000, though Mr. Wynn did not
take above £750, one half of which he sent his aunt and sister for their
use. Cadwgan had during those five years put by £55,000.