'I came, sir,' he says sadly, 'in the hope that, seeing my distress, you would not have been disinclined to assist me--not with money, sir,' he adds swiftly, in answer to an impatient look of dissent from Mr. Million, 'but with your good word. But I am afraid that I have injured my cause by the expression of my opinions.' 'In what way did you expect that I could aid you?' asks Mr. Million carelessly, as he settles himself to his papers. 'I have been especially unfortunate in my career, sir. As I told you, I am willing to work, but am unable to obtain it. If I could emigrate; if I could get into a new country, where labour is scarce, things might be better for me.' The poor man is helpless at the rich man's foot; and the rich man plays with him, as a cat with a mouse. 'Well,' he says, 'emigrate. The country would be well rid of such as you.' Saul Fielding takes no notice of the insult. He is not to be turned aside from his purpose, although he knows full well that he has missed his mark. 'I have no means, sir; I am poor and helpless.' 'How do you propose to effect your object, then?' 'There are Government emigrant ships which take men out, I have heard, for very little--for nothing almost. A line of recommendation from you would be sufficiently powerful, I thought, to obtain me a passage.' 'Doubtless, doubtless,' this with a smile; 'but you are a man of some perception, and having observed how utterly I disagree with your opinions--which I consider abominable and mischievous to the last degree--you can hardly expect me to give you the recommendation you ask for. May I ask, as you are a perfect stranger to me, for I have no recollection of you in any way, to what I am indebted for the honour you have done me by choosing me to give you a good character?' 'You are a public man, sir, and I have heard a friend to the working man. And as you had helped a friend of mine to emigrate by giving him a free passage in a ship that sails this week----' 'Stop, stop, if you please. _I_ help a friend of yours to emigrate by giving him a free passage! I think you are mistaken.' 'If you say so, sir, I must be. But this is what George Naldret gave me to understand.' 'And pray who is George Naldret?' demands Mr. Million haughtily; 'and what are his reasons for emigrating?' 'George Naldret,' returns Saul Fielding, in perplexity, 'is almost the only friend I have in the world, and he is emigrating for the purpose of putting himself into a position to marry more quickly than his prospects here will allow him.' 'As you are introducing me,' says Mr. Million, with an air of supreme indifference, 'to your friends, perhaps you would like also to introduce me to the young lady--for of course' (with a sneer) 'she is a young lady--he desires to marry.' 'Her name is Sparrow--Bessie Sparrow, granddaughter to an old grocer.' Mr. Million becomes suddenly interested, and pushes his papers aside with an exclamation of anger. 'What name did you say?'