Saviour’s, Southwark, open, rested there awhile. When I returned at the end of two hours, I had to wait another ten minutes until a luncheon tray came out. A bell then rang, which a clerk answered, and in about five minutes, with a ‘come this way’ I was ushered into the presence of Jackman, who was reading the newspaper with a decanter and a glass of sherry by his side. ‘Well, Whittaker, what brings you here? Ought to be looking after your grapes at Stockwell—but I forgot; heard you’d given up grape-growing. Ah! odd thing, a man never retires, but he gets into some mess; marries or dabbles on the Stock Exchange. I’ve known lots of cases like yours. What can we do for you? Times are horribly bad.’ Jackman evidently thought I was going to borrow some money of him, and his tone altered when he found I did not come on that errand. ‘I was very sorry—really I was, my dear fellow—to hear of your loss, but it was a damned foolish thing to do, excuse me.’ ‘Mr. Jackman,’ said I, ‘I have not lost all my property, but I cannot quite live on what is left. Can you give me some work? My connection and knowledge of your business may be of some service.’ I had put hundreds of pounds in this man’s pocket, but forbore to urge this claim upon him. ‘Delighted, I am sure, if it were possible, but we have no vacancy, and, to be quite plain with you, you are much too old. We could get more out of a boy at ten shillings a week than we could out of you.’ Mr. Jackman drank another glass of sherry. ‘But, sir’—(sir! that I should ever call Tom Jackman ‘sir,’ but I did)—‘as I just said, my experience and connection might be valuable.’ ‘Oh, as to experience, me and Larkins supply all that, and the clerks do as they are told. Never keep a clerk more than two years: he then begins to think he knows too much and wants more pay. As to connection, pardon me—mean nothing, of course—but your recommendation now wouldn’t bring much.’ At this moment the door opened and Larkins entered in haste. ‘I say, Jackman—’ then turning and seeing me,—‘Hullo, Whittaker, what the devil are you doing here? Jackman, I’ve just heard—’ ‘Good-bye, Whittaker,’ said Jackman, ‘sorry can’t help you.’