Not this only; he had actually offered his young cousin the position, had offered to engage him and to pay him several hundred dollars as a retaining fee.
He told his hearers so much, and then he stopped.

Emily, who had seemed much interested, waited a moment and then begged him to continue.
"Well ?" she said.

"Why don't you tell us the rest?
We are all waiting to congratulate you.

You accepted, of course." John shook his head.

"Why, no," he replied, "I didn't accept, exactly.
I did say I would think it over; but I--well, I'm not sure that I shall accept." Here was the unexpected.