“And now I come to the queer part of the business. I was indiggings out Hampstead way, 17 Potter’s Terrace. Well, I wassitting doing a smoke that very evening after I had been promisedthe appointment, when up came my landlady with a card whichhad ‘Arthur Pinner, Financial Agent,’ printed upon it. I had neverheard the name before and could not imagine what he wantedwith me; but, of course, I asked her to show him up. In he walked,a middle-sized, dark-haired, dark-eyed, black-bearded man, with atouch of the Sheeny about his nose. He had a brisk kind of way withhim and spoke sharply, like a man who knew the value of time.”
“ ‘Mr. Hall Pycroft, I believe?’” said he.
“ ‘Yes, sir,’ I answered, pushing a chair towards him.
“ ‘Lately engaged at Coxon & Woodhouse’s?’
“ ‘Yes, sir.’
“ ‘And now on the staff of Mawson’s.’
“ ‘Quite so.’
“ ‘Well,’ said he, ‘the fact is that I have heard some reallyextraordinary stories about your financial ability. You rememberParker, who used to be Coxon’s manager. He can never say enoughabout it.’
“Of course I was pleased to hear this. I had always been prettysharp in the office, but I had never dreamed that I was talkedabout in the City in this fashion.
“ ‘You have a good memory?’ said he.
“ ‘Pretty fair,’ I answered, modestly.
“ ‘Have you kept in touch with the market while you have beenout of work?’ he asked.
“ ‘Yes. I read the stock-exchange list every morning.’
“ ‘Now that shows real application!’ he cried. ‘That is the wayto prosper! You won’t mind my testing you, will you? Let me see.
How are Ayrshires?’
“ ‘A hundred and six and a quarter to a hundred and five andseven-eighths.’
“ ‘And New Zealand consolidated?’
“ ‘A hundred and four.’
“ ‘And British Broken Hills?’
“ ‘Seven to seven-and-six.’
“ ‘Wonderful!’ he cried, with his hands up. ‘This quite fits inwith all that I had heard. My boy, my boy, you are very much toogood to be a clerk at Mawson’s!’
“This outburst rather astonished me, as you can think. ‘Well,’
said I, ‘other people don’t think quite so much of me as you seemto do, Mr. Pinner. I had a hard enough fight to get this berth, andI am very glad to have it.’
“ ‘Pooh, man; you should soar above it. You are not in your truesphere. Now, I’ll tell you how it stands with me. What I have tooffer is little enough when measured by your ability, but whencompared with Mawson’s, it’s light to dark. Let me see. When doyou go to Mawson’s?’
“ ‘On Monday.’
“ ‘Ha, ha! I think I would risk a little sporting flutter that youdon’t go there at all.’
“ ‘Not go to Mawson’s?’
“ ‘No, sir. By that day you will be the business manager of theFranco-Midland Hardware Company, Limited, with a hundredand thirty-four branches in the towns and villages of France, notcounting one in Brussels and one in San Remo.’
“This took my breath away. ‘I never heard of it,’ said I.
“ ‘Very likely not. It has been kept very quiet, for the capitalwas all privately subscribed, and it’s too good a thing to let thepublic into. My brother, Harry Pinner, is promoter, and joins theboard after allotment as managing director. He knew I was in theswim down here, and asked me to pick up a good man cheap. Ayoung, pushing man with plenty of snap about him. Parker spokeof you, and that brought me here to-night. We can only offer you abeggarly five hundred to start with.’
“ ‘Five hundred a year!’ I shouted.
“ ‘Only that at the beginning; but you are to have an overridingcommission of one per cent on all business done by your agents,and you may take my word for it that this will come to more thanyour salary.’
“ ‘But I know nothing about hardware.’
“ ‘Tut, my boy; you know about figures.’
“My head buzzed, and I could hardly sit still in my chair. Butsuddenly a little chill of doubt came upon me.
“ ‘I must be frank with you,’ said I. ‘Mawson only gives me twohundred, but Mawson is safe. Now, really, I know so little aboutyour company that——’
“ ‘Ah, smart, smart!’ he cried, in a kind of ecstasy of delight. ‘Youare the very man for us. You are not to be talked over, and quiteright, too. Now, here’s a note for a hundred pounds, and if youthink that we can do business you may just slip it into your pocketas an advance upon your salary.’
“ ‘That is very handsome,’ said I. ‘When should I take over mynew duties?’
“ ‘Be in Birmingham to-morrow at one,’ said he. ‘I have a notein my pocket here which you will take to my brother. You willfind him at 126B Corporation Street, where the temporary officesof the company are situated. Of course he must confirm yourengagement, but between ourselves it will be all right.’
“ ‘Really, I hardly know how to express my gratitude, Mr.
Pinner,’ said I.
“ ‘Not at all, my boy. You have only got your deserts. There areone or two small things—mere formalities—which I must arrangewith you. You have a bit of paper beside you there. Kindly writeupon it “I am perfectly willing to act as business manager to theFranco-Midland Hardware Company, Limited, at a minimumsalary of ￡500.” ’
“I did as he asked, and he put the paper in his pocket.
“ ‘There is one other detail,’ said he. ‘What do you intend to doabout Mawson’s? ’
“I had forgotten all about Mawson’s in my joy. ‘I’ll write andresign,’ said I.
“ ‘Precisely what I don’t want you to do. I had a row over youwith Mawson’s manager. I had gone up to ask him about you, andhe was very offensive; accused me of coaxing you away from theservice of the firm, and that sort of thing. At last I fairly lost mytemper. “If you want good men you should pay them a good price,”
said I.’
“ ‘He would rather have our small price than your big one,’ saidhe.
“ ‘I’ll lay you a fiver,’ said I, ‘that when he has my offer you’llnever so much as hear from him again.’ ”
“ ‘Done!’ said he. ‘We picked him out of the gutter, and he won’tleave us so easily.’ Those were his very words.”
“ ‘The impudent scoundrel!’ I cried. ‘I’ve never so much as seenhim in my life. Why should I consider him in any way? I shallcertainly not write if you would rather I didn’t.’
