"'No, sir. By that day you will be the business
manager of the Franco-Midland Hardware Company,
Limited, with a hundred and thirty-four branches in
the towns and villages of France, not counting one in
Brussels and one in San Remo.'

"This took my breath away. 'I never heard of it,'
said I.

"'Very likely not. It has been kept very quiet, for
the capital was all privately subscribed, and it's too
good a thing to let the public into. My brother,
Harry Pinner, is promoter, and joins the board after
allotment as managing director. He knew I was in the
swim down here, and asked me to pick up a good man
cheap. A young, pushing man with plenty of snap about
him. Parker spoke of you, and that brought me here
to-night. We can only offer you a beggarly five
hundred to start with.'

"'Five hundred a year!' I shouted.

"'Only that at the beginning; but you are to have an
overriding commission of one per cent on all business
done by your agents, and you may take my word for it
that this will come to more than your salary.'

"'But I know nothing about hardware.'