on, but began to try at
once for immediate employment which might bring some little grist to the
mill. And he was more fortunate than young fellows generally are when
starting on that heart-breaking search, for he had something to go upon.
He went straight to the London representative of the Egyptian house of
business with which his father had been connected, told his story, and
asked for employment.

"But your father was bought out fully, and you have no claim on us, you
know," said the merchant.

"I make no claim, sir," replied Harry; "I ask a favour. I don't know
why you should employ me more than anybody else, but still I thought the
connection might interest you. My father had a hand in establishing the
business, and I had a hope that that might weigh with you, if you have
found it a good one."

"Well, you have had a hard trial, and it is to your credit that you want
to go to work at once instead of sitting down in despair. The worst of
it is that you have been educated at Harton, and can know nothing of
what is useful in an office. What sort of hand do you write?"

"A shocking bad one, I fear, but any one can read it. And I am not so
very bad at figures. And I am ready to learn. Won't you give me a
chance, and pay me nothing till I am useful?"

"There is one thing, at any rate, you have learned at Harton," said the
other, with a smile, "and that is to speak up boldly, and to speak out
plainly. I was a friend of your poor father's, and shall be glad to
help you, since you are reasonable and see matters in their right light.
But you must not expect much."

So Harry was taken into the office as a clerk just for a month on trial.
And he showed so much zeal and intelligence that he was taken into
regular employment at the end of it, and received a five-pound note for
his work during the time of probation. And the joy and triumph with
which he brought home this, the first money he had ever earned, to his
mother and sister in the evening, cheered them all up in a manner to
which they had been strangers since ruin and death had fallen upon the
household.

Many castles did they build in the air that evening, but they were not
extravagant, their highest present ambition being to have the whole
cottage, which was but eight-roomed, to themselves, and to keep two
maids instead of one. And this, if Harry's salary rose to a hundred and
fifty, they thought they might manage. Of course it was a dreary life
for