had hardly
thought of applying for the situation. His pride revolted at the idea
of becoming a mere messenger; but his wife's cough had decided him.
What did it matter, so that he could save her life?

"I may not get it," he said to himself, as he went out; "but my
knowledge of Arabic, and the native dialect, is all in my favour. And
at least, in a year or two, she may have thoroughly shaken off the
cough, and that is everything.

"At any rate, I have a better chance of getting this than I had of the
other places that I applied for. There can hardly be a rush of
applicants. When I am out there, I may hear of something better.

"However, I will take another name. Fortunately I have a second one,
which will do very well. Hilliard will do as well as Hartley; and as I
never write it in full as my signature, no one would recognize it as my
name. There is nothing to be ashamed of, in accepting such a post.

"As for the marquis, as he has never been friendly with us, it does not
matter. He is, I have heard, a very tough sort of man; and my father is
not likely to survive him. But I do not think it would be fair to
Geoffrey, when he comes into his peerage, that anyone should be able to
say that he has a brother who is porter, in a mercantile house at
Alexandria. We have never got on very well together. The fact that he
was heir to a title spoilt him. I think he would have been a very good
fellow, if it hadn't been for that."

On arriving at the office in Leadenhall Street, he was, on saying he
wished to speak to Mr. Partridge, at once shown in. A good many of his
personal belongings had been long since pledged; but he had retained
one or two suits, so that he could make as good an appearance as
possible, when he went out. The clerk had merely said, "A gentleman
wishes to speak to you, sir," and the merchant looked up enquiringly at
him, as he entered.

"I have come to see you, sir, with reference to that advertisement, for
a man at your establishment at Alexandria."

A look of surprise came over the merchant's face, and he said:

"Have you called on your own account?"

"Yes; I am anxious to go abroad, for the sake of my wife's health, and
I am not particular as to what I do, so that I can take her to a warm
climate. I may say that I have been two years in Egypt, and speak
Arabic and Koptic fluently. I am strong and active, and am ready to
make myself useful, in any way."

Mr. Partridge did not answer, for a minute.