to others, but neither did he expect that
much should be given to him. There was no ardent generosity in his
temperament; but then, also, there was no malice or grasping avarice.
If in one respect he differed much from our Mr. Robinson, so also
in another respect did he differ equally from our Mr. Jones. He
was at this time a counting-house clerk in a large wharfinger's
establishment, and had married on a salary of eighty pounds a year.
"I tell you what it is, Robinson," said he, about this time: "I don't
understand this business of yours."

"No," said Robinson; "perhaps not. A business like ours is not easily
understood."

"You don't seem to me to divide any profits."

"In an affair of such magnitude the profits cannot be adjusted every
day, nor yet every month."

"But a man wants his bread and cheese every day. Now, there's old
Brown. He's a deal sharper than I took him for."

"Mr. Brown, for a commercial man of the old school, possesses
considerable intelligence," said Robinson. Throughout all these
memoirs, it may be observed that Mr. Robinson always speaks with
respect of Mr. Brown.

"Very considerable indeed," said Poppins. "He seems to me to nobble
everything. Perhaps that was the old school. The young school ain't
so very different in that respect;--only, perhaps, there isn't so
much for them to nobble."

"A regular division of our profits has been arranged for in our deed
of partnership," said Robinson.

"That's uncommon nice, and very judicious," said Poppins.

"It was thought to be so by our law advisers," said Robinson.

"But yet, you see, old Brown nobbles the money. Now, if ever I goes
into partnership, I shall bargain to have the till for my share. You
never get near the till, do you?"

"I attend to quite another branch of the business," said Robinson.

"Then you're wrong. There's no branch of the business equal to the
ready money branch. Old Brown has lots of ready money always by him
now-a-days."

It certainly was the case that the cash received day by day over the
counter was taken by Mr. Brown from the drawers and deposited by him
in the safe. The payments into the bank were made three times a week,
and the checks were all drawn by Mr. Brown. None of these had ever
been drawn except on behalf of the business; but then the payments
into the bank had by no means tallied with the cash taken; and
latterly,--for the last month or so,--the statements of the daily
cash taken had been very p