come which I expected
from you, I could read nothing but shame, confusion, and
annoyance. Why? dear Job, why? If you were _ashamed_ of your
occupation, why had you chosen it? I suppose when you took it
up, you resolved to do your duty in it properly; then why feel
_shame_ because _your friend_ sees you, as you must have
thought she would one day see you, since the nature of your
new business carries you into different parts of the city?

"But, dear Job, I feel certain, and I would like you to be
equally sure, that there is no need of _shame_ in following
any busines which is _honest_, and which can be carried on
without doing injury to others. It is not the business,
believe me, dear Job, which lowers a dog; _he himself_ is
alone capable of _lowering_ himself, and one dog may be truly
good and noble, though he drive a meat-barrow about the
streets, while another may be a miserable, mean animal, though
living in a palace and never soiling his paws.

"I have a great deal more to say, my dear Job, upon this
subject, but I must leave the rest till I see you. I have
already crossed and recrossed my note, and may be most
difficult to understand where I most want to be clear. Here is
a nice open space, however, in the corner, which I seize on
with pleasure to write myself most distinctly,

"Your friend,

"FIDA."

A variety of feelings passed through my mind as I read these lines. But
they were all lost in my wonder at Fida's cleverness in being able to
read my face, as if it had been a book. I was grateful to her for the
good advice she gave me, and now felt ashamed for having been ashamed
before. The best way I thought to prove my thankfulness would be to act
openly and naturally as Fida had pointed out, for I could not help
confessing, as my eyes looked again and again over her note, that she was
quite right, and that I had acted like a very silly animal.

I was interrupted during my reflections by the bursting of rain upon the
house-roofs, and the stream which rose from the streets as the large
drops came faster and faster down. I went to the door to look for my old
friend, but not a dog was to be seen. I was surprised at the sight of the
sky where I had observed the clouds rising a little while before, for now
those same clouds looked like big rocks piled one above another, with
patches of light shining through great c