"Sunshine--and sympathy; what can a man want more? You're young, Comethup, in the ways of the world--I had almost said simple; the world will try to take advantage of you; will rob you with one hand while it fawns upon you with the other. Beware of it; take your own path straight through life, and trouble not about what any man may say. It's the only way," he added gloomily; "would that I had remembered it in time! For myself, although they have made me a beggar, I care nothing; a crust of bread and a cup of water are all that I ask of any man, and they will probably deny me those. But, my boy, I have responsibilities--I have a son." Here his emotion appeared quite to overmaster him for an instant, and Comethup felt very sorry for him indeed. After a few moments he slapped his breast firmly and coughed, blinked his eyelids, and looked upon the boy with a ghostly smile. "I think Brian will make his way--will get on, I mean," said Comethup, in the hope of encouraging him. "Make his way! Get on! You are right; you are very right. The time will surely come when his name will be echoed to the skies; when that which is pent in his father and has found no proper outlet will appear in the son, and gladden the father's heart. It is there; I have proudly watched the beginnings of it; I have, in my poor way, fostered the first trembling attempts. But what is the case--how do we stand? Again comes in the damnable thought of money--money, without which we can do nothing. Like those of commoner clay, we must live--we must eat--we must have fire to warm us--a roof to shelter us. And here, at the very outset of my son's career, I find myself a beggar." He beat his foot restlessly upon the ground, and turned away his head and bit his lip in the struggle to hide his feelings. Comethup in a dim way began to be pretty certain what was coming, but he was desperately sorry for the man, nevertheless. "Now and then, in our dreary way through a horrible world, we come upon one human soul that has sympathy--nay, that has a heart of gold; it's rare, but still we find it. There is one such heart of gold in this city to-day. Listen: my son came here practically penniless; we looked into each other's eyes; we were big with hope, but still we were penniless. Suddenly my son returns to me with money--with what is, to us, a large sum. Delicacy forbids my asking whence it came; my son informs me that a friend--I repeat the word with emphasis--a friend has insisted upon helping him. His delicacy is as great as mine; he refuses to say more, and I--well, I do not press him. But in my heart I know--oh, my dear boy, let us drop parables; let me thank you as one man may thank another. I am broken, friendless, an outcast; yet my heart is still strong and true; my feelings, pray God, are those of a gentleman. I may tramp the highways to-morrow without a crust, but still I trust men may turn to look at me and say, 'There goes a gentleman.'"