way through that and out at the other end. I was fairly at the end of
my tether at last, and could hardly find the stamps to answer the
advertisements or the envelopes to stick them to. I had worn out my
boots paddling up office stairs, and I seemed just as far from
getting a billet as ever.
"At last I saw a vacancy at Mawson & Williams's, the great
stock-broking firm in Lombard Street. I dare say E. C. is not much in
your line, but I can tell you that this is about the richest house in
London. The advertisement was to be answered by letter only. I sent
in my testimonial and application, but without the least hope of
getting it. Back came an answer by return, saying that if I would
appear next Monday I might take over my new duties at once, provided
that my appearance was satisfactory. No one knows how these things
are worked. Some people say that the manager just plunges his hand
into the heap and takes the first that comes. Anyhow it was my
innings that time, and I don't ever wish to feel better pleased. The
screw was a pound a week rise, and the duties just about the same as
at Coxon's.
"And now I come to the queer part of the business. I was in diggings
out Hampstead way, 17 Potter's Terrace. Well, I was sitting doing a
smoke that very evening after I had been promised the appointment,
when up came my landlady with a card which had "Arthur Pinner,
Financial Agent," printed upon it. I had never heard the name before
and could not imagine what he wanted with me; but, of course, I asked
her to show him up. In he walked, a middle-sized, dark-haired,
dark-eyed, black-bearded man, with a touch of the sheeny about his
nose. He had a brisk kind of way with him and spoke sharply, like a
man who knew the value of time.
"'Mr. Hall Pycroft, I believe?' said he.
"'Yes, sir,' I answered, pushing a chair towards him.
"'Lately engaged at Coxon & Woodhouse's?'
"'Yes, sir.'
"'And now on the staff of Mawson's.'
"'Quite so.'
"'Well,' said he, 'the fact is that I have heard some really
extraordinary stories about your financial ability. You remember
Parker, who used to be Coxon's manager? He can never say enough about
it.'
"Of course I was pleased to hear this. I had always been pretty sharp
in the office, but I had never dreamed that I was talked about in the
City in this fashion.
"'You have a good memory?' said he.
"'Pretty fair,' I answered, modestly.
"'Have you kept in touch with the market while you have been out of
work?' he asked.
"'Yes. I read the stock exchange list every morning.'
"'Now that shows real application!' he cried. 'That is the way to
prosper! You won't mind my testing you, will you? Let me see. How are
Ayrshires?'
"'A hundred and six and a quarter to a hundred and five and
seven-eighths.'
"'And New Zealand consolidated?'
"'A hundred and four.'
"'And British Broken Hills?'
"'Seven to seven-and-six.'
"'Wonderful!' he cried, with his hands up. 'This quite fits in with
all that I had heard. My boy, my boy, you are very much too good to
be a clerk at Mawson's!'
"This outburst rather astonished me, as you can think. 'Well,' said
I, 'other people don't think quite so much of me as you seem to do,
Mr. Pinner. I had a hard enough fight to get this berth, and I am
very glad to have it.'
"'Pooh, man; you should soar above it. You are not in your true
sphere. Now, I'll tell you how it stands with me. What I have to
offer is little enough when measured by your ability, but when
compared with Mawson's, it's light to dark. Let me see. When do you
go to Mawson's?'
"'On Monday.'
"'Ha, ha! I think I would risk a little sporting flutter that you
don't go there at all.'
"'Not go to Mawson's?'
"'No, sir. By that day you will be the business manager of the
Franco-Midland Hardware Company, Limited, with a hundred and
thirty-four branches in the towns and villages of France, not
counting one in Brussels and one in San Remo.'
"This took my breath away. 'I never heard of it,' said I.
"'Very likely not. It has been kept very quiet, for the capital was
all privately subscribed, and it's too good a thing to let the public
into. My brother, Harry Pinner, is promoter, and joins the board
after allotment as managing director. He knew I was in the swim down
here, and asked me to pick up a good man cheap. A young, pushing man
with plenty of snap about him. Parker spoke of you, and that brought
me here tonight. We can only offer you a beggarly five hundred to
start with.'
"'Five hundred a year!' I shouted.
"'Only that at the beginning; but you are to have an overriding
commission of one per cent on all business done by your agents, and
you may take my word for it that this will come to more than your
salary.'
"'But I know nothing about hardware.'
"'Tut, my boy; you know about figures.'
"My head buzzed, and I could hardly sit still in my chair. But
suddenly a little chill of doubt came upon me.
"'I must be frank with you,' said I. 'Mawson only gives me two
hundred, but Mawson is safe. Now, really, I know so little about your
company that--'
"'Ah, smart, smart!' he cried, in a kind of ecstasy of delight. 'You
are the very man for us. You are not to be talked over, and quite
right, too. Now, here's a note for a hundred pounds, and if you think
that we can do business you may just slip it into your pocket as an
advance upon your salary.'
"'That is very handsome,' said I. 'When should I take over my new
duties?'
"'Be in Birmingham to-morrow at one,' said he. 'I have a note in my
pocket here which you will take to my brother. You will find him at
126b Corporation Street, where the temporary offices of the company
are situated. Of course he must confirm your engagement, but between
ourselves it will be all right.'
"'Really, I hardly know how to express my gratitude, Mr. Pinner,'
said I.
"'Not at all, my boy. You have only got your desserts. There are one
or two small things--mere formalities--which I must arrange with you.
You have a bit of paper beside you there. Kindly write upon it "I am
perfectly willing to act as business manager to the Franco-Midland
Hardware Company, Limited, at a minimum salary of ?00."'
"I did as he asked, and he put the paper in his pocket.
"'There is one other detail,' said he. 'What do you intend to do
about Mawson's?'
"I had forgotten all about Mawson's in my joy. 'I'll write and
resign,' said I.
"'Precisely what I don't want you to do. I had a row over you with
Mawson's manager. I had gone up to ask him about you, and he was very
offensive; accused me of coaxing you away from the service of the
firm, and that sort of thing. At last I fairly lost my temper. "If
you want good men you should pay them a good price," said I.
"'"He would rather have our small price than your big one," said he.
"'"I'll lay you a fiver," said I, "that when he has my offer you'll
never so much as hear from him again."
"'"Done!" said he. "We picked him out of the gutter, and he won't
leave us so easily." Those were his very words.'
"'The impudent scoundrel!' I cried. 'I've never so much as seen him
in my life. Why should I consider him in any way? I shall certainly
not write if you would rather I didn't.'
"'Good! That's a promise,' said he, rising from his chair. 'Well, I'm
delighted to have got so good a man for my brother. Here's your
advance of a hundred pounds, and here is the letter. Make a note of
the address, 126b Corporation Street, and remember that one o'clock
to-morrow is your appointment. Good-night; and may you have all the
fortune that you deserve!'
"That's just about all that passed between us, as near as I can
remember. You can imagine, Dr. Watson, how pleased I was at such an
extraordinary bit of good fortune. I sat up half the night hugging
myself over it, and next day I was off to Birmingham in a train that
would take me in plenty time for my appointment. I took my things to
a hotel in New Street, and then I made my way to the address which
had been given me.
"It was a quarter of an hour before my time, but I thought that would
make no difference. 126b was a passage between two large shops, which
led to a winding stone stair, from which there were many flats, let
as offices to companies or professional men. The names of the
occupants were painted at the bottom on the wall, but there was no
such name as the Franco-Midland Hardware Company, Limited. I stood
for a few minutes with my heart in my boots, wondering whether the
whole thing was an elaborate hoax or not, when up came a man and
addressed me. He was very like the chap I had seen the night before,
the same figure and voice, but he was clean shaven and his hair was
lighter.
"'Are you Mr. Hall Pycroft?' he asked.
"'Yes,' said I.
"'Oh! I was expecting you, but you are a trifle before your time. I
had a note from my brother this morning in which he sang your praises
very loudly.'
"'I was just looking for the offices when you came.'
"'We have not got our name up yet, for we only secured these
temporary premises last week. Come up with me, and we will talk the
matter over.'
"I followed him to the top of a very lofty stair, and there, right
under the slates, were a couple of empty, dusty little rooms,
uncarpeted and uncurtained, into which he led me. I had thought of a
great office with shining tables and rows of clerks, such as I was
used to, and I dare say I stared rather straight at the two deal
chairs and one little table, which, with a ledger and a waste paper
basket, made up the whole furniture.
"'Don't be disheartened, Mr. Pycroft,' said my new acquaintance,
seeing the length of my face. 'Rome was not built in a day, and we
have lots of money at our backs, though we don't cut much dash yet in
offices. Pray sit down, and let me have your letter.'
"I gave it to him, and her read it over very carefully.
"'You seem to have made a vast impression upon my brother Arthur,'
said he; 'and I know that he is a pretty shrewd judge. Hew swears by
London, you know; and I by Birmingham; but this time I shall follow
his advice. Pray consider yourself definitely engaged.'
"'What are my duties?' I asked.
"'You will eventually manage the great depot in Paris, which will
pour a flood of English crockery into the shops of a hundred and
thirty-four agents in France. The purchase will be completed in a
week, and meanwhile you will remain in Birmingham and make yourself
useful.'
"'How?'
"For answer, he took a big red book out of a drawer.
"'This is a directory of Paris,' said he, 'with the trades after the
names of the people. I want you to take it home with you, and to mark
off all the hardware sellers, with their addresses. It would be of
the greatest use to me to have them.'
"'Surely there are classified lists?' I suggested.
"'Not reliable ones. Their system is different from ours. Stick at
it, and let me have the lists by Monday, at twelve. Good-day, Mr.
Pycroft. If you continue to show zeal and intelligence you will find
the company a good master.'
"I went back to the hotel with the big book under my arm, and with
very conflicting feelings in my breast. On the one hand, I was
definitely engaged and had a hundred pounds in my pocket; on the
other, the look of the offices, the absence of name on the wall, and
other of the points which would strike a business man had left a bad
impression as to the position of my employers. However, come what
might, I had my money, so I settled down to my task. All Sunday I was
kept hard at work, and yet by Monday I had only got as far as H. I
went round to my employer, found him in the same dismantled kind of
room, and was told to keep at it until Wednesday, and then come
again. On Wednesday it was still unfinished, so I hammered away until
Friday--that is, yesterday. Then I brought it round to Mr. Harry
Pinner.
"'Thank you very much,' said he; 'I fear that I underrated the
