Is it any wonder?
This circumstance, the discovery of Parker's fraudulent doings, took place about two years prior to the time when Fanny Elder attained her legal age.
The first thought of Jasper, after his separation from Parker, which took place immediately on discovering that he had used the credit of the firm improperly, was to send for Claire, and offer him a salary of a thousand dollars a year, to come in and fill the responsible position as clerk, from which Parker had just been ejected as partner.
"I can trust him fully," said Jasper to himself; "and I don't know anybody else that I can trust.

He is honest; I will give him credit for that; too honest, it may be, for his own good.

But, I don't know.
Who would not rather be in his shoes than in Parker's ?" For some time Jasper's mind was favourable to making Claire the offer proposed, and he was about writing him a note, when a new view of the case struck him, dependent on the young man's relation to his ward, Fanny Elder.
"Oh no, no, no!" said he emphatically, speaking to himself--"that, I fear me, will not do.

It would give him too open an access to my books, papers, and private accounts, in which are entries and memoranda that it might be dangerous for him to see." Jasper sighed deeply as he finished this sentence, and then fell into a musing state.

His thoughts, while this lasted, were not of the most self-satisfying character.