"And, by-the-by, my dear Henry, do you think you could stretch me
another half-crown? I'm rather rocky just now, but am expecting a tidy
sum for lineage next week," said Trevor, in an off-hand way, and
ignoring his friend's confusion, as he lifted his hat and prepared to go
out.

Henry stretched the half-crown--with difficulty, for it meant a week's
pocket-money--and when his companion had left he executed a wild dance
round the table. Ambition had been fired within him again. He determined
that not even the Slough of Despond, to which he likened the shop of Mr.
Griggs, would discourage him for a day in his onward march to that City
Beautiful where one's life was spent in writing fine thoughts for
mankind to read and remember.

The difficulty remained: how to get the opportunity? All the copy-book
maxims of his boyhood availed him nothing; all the stories of brave men
who seized opportunity instead of waiting for it to turn up, inspired,
encouraged, whispered of hope, but did not bring the situation to a
simpler issue.

Soon after this evening he determined to induce Trevor to come down from
his gorgeous generalisings to plain facts.

"It is all very well to say my essay is so good, but do you honestly
think I should go on writing things like that if I wish to become a
journalist?"

It took something out of Henry to put it so bluntly. Despite the
familiar manner in which Trevor addressed him, the youth, who was
naturally reticent, always spoke of him with deference due to one of
older years, and especially to one who was a real live journalist.
Henry, however, was gradually losing his country shyness, and the fact
that Mr. Trevor Smith continued in his debt to the extent of
seven-and-sixpence encouraged him to greater boldness in his dealings
with that slippery gentleman.

"I confess that I have had enough of old Griggs. There is nothing to
learn from him, and I do think I should like to get work on a newspaper.
Is there any chance of an opening on the _Guardian_ at Wheelton? I have
been pegging in at my shorthand for the last three weeks, you know."

"Well, since you put it that way, and since you seem to be dead set on
giving old Griggs the slip, there is one thing you could do," Trevor
admitted, now that he had been asked to come down to hard facts.

"What is that?" asked Henry eagerly.

"Get your gov'nor to shell out to old Spring, and he'll take you on like
a shot."

"Shell out?" said Henry, eviden