his school past the age of fifteen, going elsewhere to have their
education completed. What possible claim had he to quarter himself
upon the doctor for the next four years, even were the offer made?
No, Frank felt; he could not live upon the doctor's charity. Then
there were the parents of the boys he had saved from drowning. But
even as he sat alone Frank's face flushed at the thought of trading
upon services so rendered. The boy's chief fault was pride. It was
no petty feeling, and he had felt no shame at being poorer than
the rest of his schoolfellows. It was rather a pride which led him
unduly to rely upon himself, and to shrink from accepting favors
from any one. Frank might well, without any derogation, have written
to his friends, telling them of the loss he had suffered and the
necessity there was for him to earn his living, and asking them to
beg their fathers to use their interest to procure him a situation
as a boy clerk, or any other position in which he could earn his
livelihood.

Frank, however, shrunk from making any such appeal, and determined
to fight his battle without asking for help. He knew nothing of his
parents' relations. His father was an only son, who had been left
early an orphan. His mother, too, had, he was aware, lost both
her parents, and he had never heard her speak of other relations.
There was no one, therefore, so far as he knew, to whom he could
appeal on the ground of ties of blood. It must be said for him
that he had no idea how hard was the task which he was undertaking.
It seemed to him that it must be easy for a strong, active lad to
find employment of some sort in London. What the employment might
be he cared little for. He had no pride of that kind, and so that
he could earn his bread he cared not much in what capacity he might
do it.