Are you a member
here?"

"No, but I'm introduced."

"What's your name?"

"Durfy."

"Oh, you're the man who was in the _Rocket_. I heard of you from a
friend of mine. By the way," and here his manner became quite civil, as
a brilliant idea occurred to him, "look here, it was only my chaff about
keeping the paper; you can have it. I'll look at it afterwards."

"All right, thanks," said Durfy, who felt no excuse for not being civil
too.

"By the way," said Sam, as he was going off with the paper, "there was a
fellow at your office, what was his name, now--Crowder, Crundell? Some
name of that sort--I forget."

"Cruden you mean, perhaps," said Durfy, with a scowl.

"Ah, yes--Cruden. Is he still with you? What sort of chap is he?"

Durfy described him in terms far more forcible than affectionate, and
added, "No, he's not there now; oh no. I kicked him out long ago. But
I've not done with him yet, my boy."

Sam felt jubilant. Was ever luck like his? Here was a man who
evidently knew Reginald's real character, and could, doubtless, if
properly handled, put him on the scent, and, as he metaphorically put it
to himself, "give him a clean leg up over the job."

So he called for refreshments for two, and then entered on a friendly
discourse with Durfy on things in general, and offered to make him a
member of the club; then bringing the conversation round to Reginald, he
hinted gently that _he_ too had his eye on that young gentleman, and was
at the present moment engaged in bowling him out.

Whereupon Durfy, after a slight hesitation, and stipulating that his
name should not be mentioned in the matter, gave Sam what information he
considered would be useful to him, suppressing, of course, all mention
of the real promoters of the Select Agency Corporation, and giving the
secretary credit for all the ingenuity and cunning displayed in its
operations.

The two new friends spent a most agreeable evening, Sam flattering
himself he was squeezing Durfy beautifully into the service of his "big
job," and Durfy flattering himself that this bumptious young pettifogger
was the very person to get hold of to help him pay off all his old
scores with Reginald Cruden.

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN.

POVERTY AND LOVE BOTH COME IN AT THE DOOR.

We left Reginald in a somewhat comfortable frame of mind after his
interview with the pleasant clergyman and the stroke of business he had
transacted on behalf of the Corporation. It