He was very fond of the dear girl , but meant to be a slave no longer , and enjoyed his freedom immensely , quite unconscious that the great tyrant of the world had got hold of him for life . To his father 's satisfaction he gave up his medical studies , and prepared to go into business with the old gentleman , who was a flourishing merchant , ready now to make the way smooth and smile upon his marriage with Mr West 's well-endowed daughter . The only thorn in Tom 's bed of roses was Nan 's placid interest in his affairs , and evident relief at his disloyalty . He did not want her to suffer , but a decent amount of regret at the loss of such a lover would have gratified him ; a slight melancholy , a word of reproach , a glance of envy as he passed with adoring Dora on his arm , seemed but the fitting tribute to such years of faithful service and sincere affection . But Nan regarded him with a maternal sort of air that nettled him very much , and patted Dora 's curly head with a worldlywise air worthy of the withered spinster , Julia Mills , in David Copperfield . It took some time to get the old and the new emotions comfortably adjusted , but Mrs Jo helped him , and Mr Laurie gave him some wise advice upon the astonishing gymnastic feats the human heart can perform , and be all the better for it if it only held fast to the balancing-pole of truth and common sense . At last our Tommy got his bearings , and as autumn came on Plumfield saw but little of him ; for his new lode star was in the city , and business kept him hard at work . He was evidently in his right place now , and soon throve finely , to his father 's great contentment ; for his jovial presence pervaded the once quiet office like a gale of fresh wind , and his lively wits found managing men and affairs much more congenial employment than studying disease , or playing unseemly pranks with skeletons . Here we will leave him for a time and turn to the more serious adventures of his mates , though this engagement , so merrily made , was the anchor which kept our mercurial Tom happy , and made a man of him . Chapter 10 . DEMI SETTLES ` Mother , can I have a little serious conversation with you ? ' asked Demi one evening , as they sat together enjoying the first fire of the season , while Daisy wrote letters upstairs and Josie was studying in the little library close by . ` Certainly , dear . No bad news , I hope ? ' and Mrs Meg looked up from her sewing with a mixture of pleasure and anxiety on her motherly face ; for she dearly loved a good talk with her son , and knew that he always had something worth telling . ` It will be good news for you , I think , ' answered Demi , smiling as he threw away his paper and went to sit beside her on the little sofa which just held two . ` Let me hear it , then , at once . ' ' I know you do n't like the reporting , and will be glad to hear that I have given it up . ' ' I am very glad ! It is too uncertain a business , and there is no prospect of getting on for a long time .
I XXXXX you settled in some good place where you can stay , and in time make money .
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