ut inquiry as
to the place he lived in or the nature or number of the reverses which
had brought him to such a place as this."

"I do not--believe me----" faltered Mr. Sedgwick, greatly embarrassed
and distressed. In spite of the young man's attempt to hide the contents
of the table, he had seen the two objects lying there--a piece of bread
or roll, and a half-cocked revolver.

Mr. Blake had seen them, too, and at once took the word out of his
companion's mouth.

"You mistake us," he said coldly, "as well as the nature of our errand.
We are here from no motive of curiosity, as I have before said, nor from
any other which might offend or distress you. We--or rather I am here on
business. I have a position to offer to an intelligent, upright,
enterprising young man. Your name has been given me. It was given me
before this dinner, to which I went--if Mr. Sedgwick will pardon my
plain speaking--chiefly for the purpose of making your acquaintance. The
result was what you know, and possibly now you can understand my anxiety
to see you exonerate yourself from the doubts you yourself raised by
your attitude of resistance to the proposition made by that head-long,
but well-meaning, young man of many millions, Mr. Hammersley. I wanted
to find in you the honourable characteristics necessary to the man who
is to draw an eight thousand dollars a year salary under my eye. I still
want to do this. If then you are willing to make this whole thing plain
to me--for it is not plain--not wholly plain, Mr. Clifford--then you
will find in me a friend such as few young fellows can boast of, for I
like you--I will say that--and where I like----"

The gesture with which he ended the sentence was almost superfluous, in
face of the change which had taken place in the aspect of the man he
addressed. Wonder, doubt, hope, and again incredulity were lost at last
in a recognition of the other's kindly intentions toward himself, and
the prospects which they opened out before him. With a shame-faced look,
and yet with a manly acceptance of his own humiliation that was not
displeasing to his visitors, he turned about and pointing to the morsel
of bread lying on the table before them, he said to Mr. Sedgwick:

"Do you recognise that? It is from your table, and--and--it is not the
only piece I had hidden in my pockets. I had not eaten in twenty-four
hours when I sat down to dinner this evening. I had no prospect of
another morsel for to-morrow and--an