devils!" murmured Mr. Lott "what will become of them?
Some of them will starve. Terrible death, starvation, Kelver; takes such
a long time--especially when you're young."

Here also I found myself in accord with him.

"Living with your parents?"

I explained to him my situation.

"Any friends?"

I informed him I was entirely dependent upon my own efforts.

"Any money? Anything coming in?"

I told him I had a few pounds still remaining to me, but that after that
was gone I should be penniless.

"And to think, Kelver, that there are hundreds, thousands of young
fellows precisely in your position! How sad, how very sad! How long have
you been looking for a berth?"

"A month," I answered him.

"I thought as much. Do you know why I selected your letter out of the
whole batch?"

I replied I hoped it was because he judged from it I should prove
satisfactory.

"Because it's the worst written of them all." He pushed it across to me.
"Look at it. Awful, isn't it?"

I admitted that handwriting was not my strong point.

"Nor spelling either," he added, and with truth. "Who do you think will
engage you if I don't?"

"Nobody," he continued, without waiting for me to reply. "A month hence
you will still be looking for a berth, and a month after that. Now, I'm
going to do you a good turn; save you from destitution; give you a start
in life."

I expressed my gratitude.

He waived it aside. "That is my notion of philanthropy: help those that
nobody else will help. That young fellow in the other room--he isn't a
bad worker, he's smart, but he's impertinent."

I murmured that I had gathered so much.

"Doesn't mean to be, can't help it. Noticed his trick of looking at you
with his glass eye, keeping the other turned away from you?"

I replied that I had.

"Always does it. Used to irritate his last employer to madness. Said to
him one day: 'Do turn that signal lamp of yours off, Minikin, and look
at me with your real eye.' What do you think he answered? That it was
the only one he'd got, and that he didn't want to expose it to shocks.
Wouldn't have mattered so much if it hadn't been one of the ugliest men
in London."

I murmured my indignation.

"I put up with him. Nobody else would. The poor fellow must live."

I expressed admiration at Mr. Lott's humanity.

"You don't mind work? You're not one of those good-for-nothings who
sleep all day and wake up when it's time to go home?"

I assured him that in what