He moved towards the door, but before opening it stood hesitating.

’Want to get your hair cut, do you?  Well, there’s sixpence, and it’s all I can spare.’

The door closed.  And the man at the table, leaning back, stared gloomily at the sixpenny piece on the table before him.

His name was Topham; he had a university degree and a damaged reputation.  Six months ago, when his choice seemed to be between staying in the streets and turning sandwich-man, luck had made him acquainted with Mr. Rudolph Starkey, who wrote himself M.A. of Dublin University and advertised a system of tuition by correspondence.  In return for mere board and lodging Topham became Mr. Starkey’s assistant; that is to say, he did by far the greater part of Mr. Starkey’s work.  The tutorial business was but moderately successful; still, it kept its proprietor in cigarettes, and enabled him to pass some hours a day at a club, where he was convinced that before long some better chance in life would offer itself to him.  Having always been a lazy dog, Starkey regarded himself as an example of industry unrewarded; being as selfish a fellow as one could meet, he reproached himself with the unworldliness of his nature, which had so hindered him in a basely material age.  One of his ventures was a half-moral, half-practical little volume entitled Success in Life.  Had it been either more moral or more practical, this book would probably have yielded him a modest income, for such works are dear to the British public; but Rudolph Starkey, M.A., was one of those men who do everything by halves and snarl over the ineffectual results.

Topham’s fault was that of a man who had followed his instincts but too thoroughly.  They brought him to an end of everything, and, as Starkey said, he had been glad enough to take the employment which was offered without any inconvenient inquiries.  The work which he undertook he did competently and honestly for some time without a grumble.  Beginning with a certain gratitude to his employer, though without any liking, he soon grew to detest the man, and had much ado to keep up a show of decent civility in their intercourse.  Of better birth and breeding than Starkey, he burned with resentment at the scant ceremony with which he was treated, and loathed the meanness which could exact so much toil for such poor remuneration.  When offering his terms Starkey had talked in that bland way characteristic of him with strangers.

’I’m really ashamed to propose nothing better to a man of your standing.  But—­well, I’m making a start, you see, and the fact of the matter is that, just at present, I could very well manage to do all the work myself.  Still, if you think it worth your while, there’s no doubt we shall get on capitally together, and, of course, I need not say, as soon as our progress justifies it, we must come to new arrangements.  A matter of six or seven hours a day will be all I shall ask of you at present.  For my own part, I work chiefly at night.’