"Yes, but you don't eat. Take another fig," cried Mr Jabez, as, without knocking, Mr Grimstone entered the room. "Hallo," he said, without taking off his hat, "what the deuce are you doing here?" "I've come to see Mr Jabez, Mr Grimstone," I replied. "Oh, have you? So have I. How long are you going to stop?" "Oh, hours yet," said Mr Jabez. "Sit down, Grim. He doesn't matter; speak out. He doesn't belong to the shop now. Well: what news?" "Bad!" said Mr Grimstone, throwing himself into a chair. "Here, boy, take my hat." I took it quite obediently, and resumed my seat, while Mr Grimstone wiped his bald head with a bright orange handkerchief. "You don't say so?" said Mr Jabez uneasily. "Yes, I do," said Mr Grimstone, taking the box out of the reader's hand and helping himself to a pinch; "I said it quite plain." "It's a bad job." "Have you just found that out?" snarled the overseer. "Pretty pair of fools we've been. Look here, send that boy away." "No, no; no, no. Sit still, Grace. Eat some more figs, boy. I'll call Mrs Jennings when you've eaten them. There, go on, Grim. Antony Grace isn't a chatterer." "Just as you like," said Grimstone. "Well, if he doesn't get married to that gal right off, and bank her money, the game's up, and your 500 pounds and my 750 pounds are gone to the deuce." "Is it 750 pounds, Grimstone?" "Yes, curse him! he got round me with all sorts of promises." "Of bonus, Grim, eh?" "Yes, I suppose so," growled the overseer. "That bill-discounter chap, Brandysheim, or Brandyman or something's, cornering him. He was at the office to-day, and there was a regular shine." "Was Ruddle there?" "No, but I hear that Brandysheim threatened to come down on him if he wasn't paid." "And what then?" "What then?" growled Grimstone, with a show of his teeth; "why, Lister's smashed up--bankrupt, and you and I may sit and stare at each other for a pair of fools." "But it won't hurt Ruddle." "No, only bother him. If Lister's bankrupt, he's partner no longer, and Ruddle will have to find out what share he has in the business." "Yes, that's what I thought," said Mr Jabez dolefully. "And we shan't get a penny!" "Not even interest," said Mr Jabez. "Not even interest," echoed Grimstone. "Not even bonus," said Mr Jabez. "Not even bonus," echoed Grimstone again. "What's he done with his money, that's what I want to know?" said Mr Jabez. "Wine--women--horse-racing--foolery! He's been carrying on like mad, and what I suspect is this--Miss Carr begins to smell a rat, and I shouldn't be a bit surprised if the wedding didn't come off." Mr Jabez stared dolefully at Mr Grimstone, and the overseer kept on taking pinches of snuff till the box was empty; and, after searching round with finger and thumb, threw the box impatiently down. "Well, I don't see that we can do anything," said Mr Jabez at last, "except wait."