“You must speak to him,” said Mary; “you cannot leave without saying something; and tell him exactly how you are situated; he cannot refuse to do something to help you.”

“It is easy to talk of speaking to him, mother, but not so easy to do it.  I have often before thought of speaking to him, of telling him how very, very poor we are, and begging a little more salary.  But I never could do it when I came before him.  I seemed to feel that he would refuse me, and I felt somehow too proud to ask a favour that would most likely be refused.  But it shall be done now, mother; I will not be a burthen upon you, if I can help it.  I’d sooner do anything than that.  He ought to do something for me, and there’s no one else that I know of that can.  I will speak to him on Monday.”

Monday evening was come; all day Stephen had been screwing up his courage for the task he had to do; of course it could not be done when his master and he were in the shop together, for there they were liable at any moment to be interrupted.  At dinner-time they separated; for they took the meal alternately, that the post in the shop might never be deserted.  But now the day’s work was over:  everything was put away, and master and apprentice had retired into the little back parlour a to take their tea.  As usual, they were alone, for the stationer was a single man (which might account for the sourness of his temper), and the meal was usually taken in silence, and soon after it was over they would both retire to bed, still in silence.  Stephen’s master had poured out for him his first cup of tea, handed it to him without looking at him, and begun to swallow his own potion.  Stephen allowed his cup to remain before him untouched; he glanced timidly towards his master, drew a deep breath, coloured slightly, and then began:—­

“If you please, sir, I wish to speak to you.”

His master looked up with a sudden jerk of the head, and fixed his keen gray eyes on poor Stephen’s face.  He did not seem at all surprised, but said sharply (and he had a very sharp voice), “Well, sir, speak on.”

Stephen was determined not to be discouraged, so he began to tell his little tale.  His voice faltered at first, but as he went on he became quite eloquent.  He spoke with a boldness which astonished himself.  He forgot his master, and thought only of his mother.  He told all about her poverty, and struggles to get a living.  He dwelt strongly, but modestly, on his own conduct during his apprenticeship, and finished by entreating his master now to help him to do something, for he had nothing in the world to turn to, no friends, no money, no influence.

His master heard him to an end.  He had soon withdrawn his eyes from Stephen’s agitated face, then partially averted his own face, then left his seat, and advanced to a side table, where he began to rummage among some papers, with his back to Stephen.