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when up came my landlady with a card which had 'Arthur
Pinner, Financial Agent,' printed upon it. I had
never heard the name before and could not imagine what
he wanted with 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 a touch of the
Sheeny about his nose. He had a brisk kind of way
with him 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
really extraordinary stories about your financial
ability. You remember Parker, who used to be Coxon's
manager? He can never say enough about it.'

"Of course I was pleased to hear this. I had always
been pretty sharp in the office, but I had never
dreamed that I was talked about 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
been out of work?' he asked.

"'Yes. I read the stock exchange list every morning.'

"'Now that shows real application!' he cried. 'That is
the way to 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
and seven-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 in with all that I had heard. My boy, my boy,
you are very much too good 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 seem to do, Mr. Pinner. I had a
hard enough fight to get this berth, and I am very
glad to have it.'

"'Pooh, man; you should soar above it. You are not in
your true sphere. Now, I'll tell you how it stands
with me. What I have to offer is little enough when
measured by your ability, but when compared with
Mawson's, it's light to dark. Let me see. When do
you go to Mawson's?'

"'On Monday.'

"'Ha, ha! I think I would risk a little sporting
flutter that you don't go there at all.'

"'Not go to Mawson's?'

"'No, sir. By that day you will be the business
manager of the Franco-Midland Hardware Company,
Limited, with a hundred and thirty-four branches in
the towns and villages of France, not counting 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 capital was all privately subscribed, and it's too
good a thing to let the public into. My brother,
Harry Pinner, is promoter, and joins the board after
allotment as managing director. He knew I was in the

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