by him, had been a place where you could borrow money, easily and very
pleasantly.

His first thought was to hurry to his lodgings and pay his landlady. He
owed her six weeks' rent, at ten shillings a week--that would take three
pounds out of the money he had just received. But he would still have over
fourteen shillings to be going on with--and surely those expected letters
would come within the next few postal deliveries. He had asked the editor
who had taken two short stories from him to let him have a cheque for
them, and in his inexperience had expected to see it arrive by return of
post. Also he had put his pride in his pocket, and had written a long
letter to his old schoolmate, John Purdie, in far-away Scotland,
explaining his present circumstances, and asking him, for old times' sake,
to lend him some money until he had finished and sold a novel, which, he
was sure, would turn out to be a small gold-mine. John Purdie, he knew,
was now a wealthy young man--successor to his father in a fine business;
Lauriston felt no doubt that he would respond. And meantime, till the
expected letters came, he had money--and when you have lived for four days
on two shillings, fourteen shillings seems a small fortune. Certainly,
within the last half-hour, life had taken on a roseate tinge--all due to a
visit to the pawnshop.

Hurrying back along Praed Street, Lauriston's steps were suddenly
arrested. He found himself unconsciously hurrying by an old-fashioned
eating-house, from whence came an appetizing odour of cooking food. He
remembered then that he had eaten nothing for four-and-twenty hours. His
landlady supplied him with nothing: ever since he had gone to her he had
done his own catering, going out for his meals. The last meal, on the
previous evening, had been a glass of milk and a stale, though sizable
bun, and now he felt literally ravenous. It was only by an effort that he