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He looked Philip up and down. He seemed to notice that
Philip was in some way different from the men who had
preceded him.
‘You’d ‘ave to get a frock coat, you know. I suppose you
‘aven’t got one. You seem a respectable young feller. I sup-
pose you found art didn’t pay.’
Philip could not tell whether he meant to engage him or
not. He threw remarks at him in a hostile way.
‘Where’s your home?’
‘My father and mother died when I was a child.’
‘I like to give young fellers a chance. Many’s the one I’ve
given their chance to and they’re managers of departments
now. And they’re grateful to me, I’ll say that for them. They
know what I done for them. Start at the bottom of the lad-
der, that’s the only way to learn the business, and then if you
stick to it there’s no knowing what it can lead to. If you suit,
one of these days you may find yourself in a position like
what mine is. Bear that in mind, young feller.’
‘I’m very anxious to do my best, sir,’ said Philip.
He knew that he must put in the sir whenever he could,
but it sounded odd to him, and he was afraid of overdoing it.
The manager liked talking. It gave him a happy conscious-
ness of his own importance, and he did not give Philip his
decision till he had used a great many words.
‘Well, I daresay you’ll do,’ he said at last, in a pompous
way. ‘Anyhow I don’t mind giving you a trial.’
‘Thank you very much, sir.’
‘You can start at once. I’ll give you six shillings a week
and your keep. Everything found, you know; the six shil-

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