tic, in
a little-visited town, where no news of my father's history was like to
reach, and that he would write to him to take me into his counting-house
in some capacity: a clerk, or possibly a messenger, till I should prove
myself worthy of being advanced to the desk. It would be hard work,
however, he said; Herr Oppovich was a Slavic, and they were people who
gave themselves few indulgences, and their dependants still fewer.

He went on to tell me that the house of Hodnig and Oppovich had been a
wealthy firm formerly, but that Hodnig had over-speculated, and died
of a broken heart; that now, after years of patient toil and thrift,
Oppovich had restored the credit of the house, and was in good repute in
the world of trade. Some time back he had written to Heinfetter to send
him a young fellow who knew languages and was willing to work.

"That's all," he said; "shall I venture to tell him that I recommend you
for these?"

"Let me have a trial," said I, gravely.

"I will write your letter to-night, then, and you shall set out
to-morrow for Vienna; thence you'll take the rail to Trieste, and by sea
you 'll reach Fiume, where Herr Oppovich lives."

I thanked him heartily, and went to my room.

On the morning that followed began my new life. I was no longer to
be the pampered and spoiled child of fortune, surrounded with every
appliance of luxury, and waited on by obsequious servants. I was now to
travel modestly, to fare humbly, and to ponder over the smallest outlay,
lest it should limit me in some other quarter of greater need. But of
all the changes in my condition, none struck me so painfully at first
as the loss of consideration from strangers that immediately followed
my fallen state. People who had no concern with my well-to-do condition,
who could take no possible interest in my prosperity, had been courteous
to me hitherto, simply because I was prosperous, and were now become
something almost the reverse for no other reason, that I could see, than
that I was poor.

Where before I had met willingness to make my acquaintance, and an
almost cordial acceptance, I was now to find distance and reserve. Above
all, I discovered that there was a general distrust of the poor man, as
though he were one more especially exposed to rash influences, and more
likely to yield to them.

I got some sharp lessons in these things the first few days of my
journey, but I dropped down at last into the third-class train, and
fou