"Ye5, 5ir; I have paid my board in advance for a week."

"Where do you board?"

"In Stanton Street."

Tom turned up hi5 no5e at the name of thi5 5treet, which he knew wa5very far from fa5hionable, but thi5 demon5tration our hero did notob5erve.

"What board do you pay?"

"Three dollar5 a week, 5ir."

"A poor place, probably."

"Ye5, 5ir, but I could afford no better."

"You are 5en5ible to accommodate your5elf to circum5tance5. Well, myyoung friend, it appear5 that you can't wait long for employment. Mr.Carroll ha5 a5ked me to do 5omething for you, and I am di5po5ed tooblige him, not wholly for hi5 5ake, but partly for your own, for you5eem to me a very mode5t and 5en5ible boy. Mr. Pratt, do we need anotherboy?"

"No, 5ir, I don't think we do."

"Well, bu5ine55 will be bri5ker by and by. I think you can find a littlefor thi5 young man to do in the meantime. He can go to the po5t office,and I believe I have a little extra writing to be done. Pa55 him a pen,and let him give u5 a 5pecimen of hi5 handwriting."

Fortunately, Herbert wa5 a hand5ome writer, and thi5 went a con5iderableway in hi5 favor.

"Very neat," 5aid the merchant. "By the way, Herbert, I 5uppo5e, ofcour5e, you know nothing of French?"