“Quite well, thank you,” he replied, in the rather cold tone of voice which had lately become habitual to him. “Have you a newspaper in the house that you would be so good as to lend me?” “Certainly,” said Miss Charlotte, her face lighting up as she hastened out of the room, returning in a minute with the special organ of the religious party to which she belonged. “I think this might interest you,” she began timidly. “I don’t want to be interested,” said Frithiof dryly. “All I want is to look through the advertisements. A thousand thanks; but I see this paper is not quite what I need.” “Are you sure that you know what you really need?” she said earnestly, and with evident reference to a deeper subject. Had she not been such a genuine little woman, he would have spoken the dry retort, “Madame, I need money,” which trembled on his lips; but there was no suspicion of cant about her, and he in spite of his bitterness still retained much of his Norwegian courtesy. “You see,” he said, smiling a little, “if I do not find work I can not pay my rent, so I must lose no time in getting some situation.” The word “rent” recalled her eldest sister to Miss Charlotte’s mind, and she resolved to say no more just at present as to the other matters. She brought him one of the daily papers, and with a little sigh of disappointment removed the religious “weekly,” leaving Frithiof to his depressing study of the column headed “Situations Vacant.” Alas! how short it was compared to the one dedicated to “Situations Wanted.” There was an editor-reporter needed, who must be a “first-class all-round man”; but Frithiof could not feel that he was deserving of such epithets, and he could not even write shorthand. There was a “gentleman needed for the canvassing and publishing department of a weekly,” but he must be possessed not only of energy but of experience. Agents were needed for steel pens, toilet soap, and boys’ clothes, but no novices need apply. Even the advertisement for billiard hands was qualified by the two crushing words, “experienced only.” “A correspondence clerk wanted” made him look hopefully at the lines which followed, but unluckily a knowledge of Portuguese was demanded as well as of French and German; while the corn merchant who would receive a gentleman’s son in an office of good position was prudent enough to add the words, “No one need apply who is unable to pay substantial premium.”