"And when I think," almost shrieked old Harris, "that ’e betted vith money out of the till--that he used my money to play me that trick vith--when I think of _that_----" Again Mr Harris paused for breath, again Jim expected a rich and fruity paternal curse, and again none such came. "When I think of that," resumed Mr Harris, "it goes to my ’eart to remember I vouldn’t buy a cash-registering machine that vos offered to me at ’_arf-price_ by a pawnbroker friend of mine ’oo vos giving up!" "And why didn’t you?" asked Jim. "_Vy_? Vy, becos that velp yonder--young Isaac--says: ’Fader, do not buy that machine. If you do, the customers vill steal the sausages vile ve turn our backs to get the change.’ That is vy. And I gave ’im a shillin’ for bein’ so clever. And it’s a thousand pound to a little bit of cat’s meat, doctor," concluded Mr Harris with great bitterness, "that ’e laid that bob on a ’orse that came ’ome!" "Well, Mr Harris," said Jim, "I’m sorry you have been so unfortunate. But I must get on with my business. I want to open a surgery in this street, and I want you to tell me if there’s a likely house about here for the purpose." Mr Harris fixed his gaze eagerly on Jim’s face, and as he did so his eyes lightened up with a great idea. What he wanted was a little ready money. Get that ready money he must, or his scheme would fail! "Yes, doctor," he said, "I know a ’ouse. That pawnbroker friend of mine, ’e shut up ’is shop when ’e retired from business, and asked me to get a tenant for it. You shall ’ave it cheap, my dear sir. You can ’ack it about a bit, and it’ll suit you fine. Come and see it--come on!" In nervous haste the old man put on his coat and hat. "Come on, doctor," he said. But young Isaac confronted his father at the shop door. "Vare vos you goin’, mine fader?" he inquired. "I vos goin’ vith the doctor. If I oblige ’im ’e will attend us for nozzing, my son. Is that not good? Come on, doctor." With this Mr Harris hastened past his son, and, accompanied by Jim, at length arrived at a dingy-looking shop, whose shutters bore sundry placards giving the world to understand that the place was "TO LET." "There, doctor, that vill make you a peautiful surgery. But you shall see it." When Jim had inspected the place he decided to take it. "What’s the rent?" he asked old Harris. "Sixty pounds a year, doctor, paid quarterly in advance." "Do I pay you, Mr Harris?" "Yes, you pay me," replied the dealer, hastily. "All right. Then that’s fifteen pounds. You shall have it as soon as I have taken possession. You get a commission on this deal, eh?" "_I_ get a commission? Vy, yes, I vould not let anything vithout one. I get ten per cent, doctor dear--to come off the first quarter’s rent. That’s six pounds. You _vill_ pay me in advance, doctor, eh?" "Oh, rather!" said Jim. At this point Mr Harris looked cunningly at his young medical adviser. "The top part of the ’ouse, doctor dear--you vill sleep in it?"