there was in the thought a mingling of shame and agony which
almost drove him wild; then he would remember the purport of his
journey, for which he had not yet made the slightest endeavor; and
when, on examination, he found his stock of money was almost gone,
and that he would soon have either to secure a situation or be a
penniless vagrant in a strange land, it added to his despair.

"I say, Mr. Ashton," said the polite landlord of the hotel one
morning, as he was about to take his first drink, "did you not
give me to understand you were looking for a situation in some dry
goods or clothing establishment?"

"Yes, Mr. Rumsey, that is what I am after; but God knows how I
will succeed; for I have done nothing, nor am I, as I am now, in a
fit state to do anything; for who would engage such a wretch as I
am?"

Rumsey pitied him; for he was a man who was too good for the
business in which he was engaged.

"I will give you a light glass, Ashton," he said; "but you must
sober off. I like you, and therefore will not let you kill
yourself with drink at this establishment; so for your sake, and
also to keep up the reputation of my house, I must limit you to-day
to two more glasses. And if you will excuse me for presuming
to interfere with your business, I would advise you to cut the
acquaintance of that precious companion of yours. I gave him a bit
of my mind last night, and told him pretty emphatically what I
thought of him. Why, man, have you entirely lost possession of
your senses, to let a leech like that loafer drain you dry? I will