Doubtless she would tell her father the whole story and he, too, in common decency, would be grateful to me for helping his daughter.

But, after all, did I care for gratitude from that family?
And what form would that gratitude take?
Would Colton, like Victor Carver, offer to pay me for my services?
No, hardly that, I thought.

He was a man of wide experience and, if he did offer payment, it would be in some less crude form than a five dollar bill.
But I did not want payment in any form.

I did not want condescension and patronizing thanks.

I did not want anything--that was it.