was winded by his climb up the hill.

'Good afternoon, sir.' Hunter did not return the salutation; he had not
the breath to spare, but the man was not hurt; he was used to being
treated like that.

'Any chance of a job, sir?'

Hunter did not reply at once. He was short of breath and he was
thinking of a plan that was ever recurring to his mind, and which he
had lately been hankering to put into execution. It seemed to him that
the long waited for opportunity had come. Just now Rushton & Co. were
almost the only firm in Mugsborough who had any work. There were
dozens of good workmen out. Yes, this was the time. If this man
agreed he would give him a start. Hunter knew the man was a good
workman, he had worked for Rushton & Co. before. To make room for him
old Linden and some other full-price man could be got rid of; it would
not be difficult to find some excuse.

'Well,' Hunter said at last in a doubtful, hesitating kind of way, 'I'm
afraid not, Newman. We're about full up.'

He ceased speaking and remained waiting for the other to say something
more. He did not look at the man, but stooped down, fidgeting with the
mechanism of the bicycle as if adjusting it.

'Things have been so bad this summer,' Newman went on. 'I've had
rather a rough time of it. I would be very glad of a job even if it
was only for a week or so.'

There was a pause. After a while, Hunter raised his eyes to the
other's face, but immediately let them fall again.

'Well,' said he, 'I might--perhaps--be able to let you have a day or
two. You can come here to this job,' and he nodded his head in the
direction of the house where the men were working. 'Tomorrow at seven.
Of course you know the figure?' he added as Newman was about to thank
him. 'Six and a half.'

Hunter spoke as if the reduction were already an accomplished fact. The
man was more likely to agree, if he thought that others were already
working at the reduced rate.

Newman was taken by surprise and hesitated. He had never worked under
price; indeed, he had sometimes gone hungry rather than do so; but now
it seemed that others were doing it. And then he was so awfully hard
up. If he refused this job he was not likely to get another in a
hurry. He thought of his home and his family. Already they owed five
weeks' rent, and last Monday the collector had hinted pretty plainly
that the landlord would not wait much longer. Not only that, but if he
did not get a jo