’Well, just at present there isn’t much stock —­ nothing like what there ought to be.  Denbow has been coming down the hill; he’s stopped himself only just in time.  When I first knew him he was doing reasonably well.  It’s a good position for that kind of shop.  Swarms of men, you know, go backwards and forwards along the Westminster Bridge Road, and just the kind of men, lots of them, that take up photography —­ the better kind of clerk, and the man of business who lives in the south suburbs.  And photography is going ahead so.  I have all sorts of ideas.  One might push the printing branch of the business —­ and have dark rooms for amateurs —­ and hit on a new hand-camera —­ and perhaps even start a paper, call it Camera Notes, or something of that kind.  Don’t smile and look sceptical ——­’

’Not at all.  It seems to me the best suggestion I’ve heard from you yet.’

’Think so?  I’m awfully glad of that.  You know, Rolfe, a fellow like myself —­ decent family, public school, and that kind of thing —­ naturally fights shy of shopkeeping.  But I’ve got to the point that I don’t care what I do, if only it’ll bring me a steady income in an honest way.  I ought to be able to make several hundreds a year, even at starting, out of that business.’

‘Have you spoken of it in the usual quarter?’

‘No, I haven’t.’  Cecil’s countenance fell.  ’I should if I made a successful start.  But I’ve talked of so many things, I’m ashamed.  And she mightn’t quite understand; perhaps she would think I was going down —­ down ——­’

‘How is her father?’

’Neither better nor worse.  That man will take another ten years over his dying —­ see if he doesn’t.  Well, we’ve got used to it.  We’re neither of us young any longer; we’ve lost the best part of our lives.  And all for what?  Because we hadn’t money enough to take a house three times bigger than we needed!  Two lives wasted because we couldn’t feed fifty other people for whom we didn’t care a damn!  Doesn’t it come to that?’

‘No doubt.  What does Denbow ask?’

’For the stock, two hundred pounds; shop-fittings, fifty; business as it stands, say three hundred.  The rent is ninety-five.  Floor above the shop let to a family, who pay twenty-four shillings a week —­ a substantial set-off against the rent; but I should like to get rid of the people, and use the whole house for business purposes.  There’s three years of Denbow’s lease to run, but this, he says, the landlord would be willing to convert into a seven years’ lease to a new tenant.  Then one must allow something for repairs and so on at the fresh start.  Well, with purchase of a little new stock, say another hundred and fifty pounds.  Roughly speaking, I ought to have about five hundred pounds to settle the affair.’

‘And you have the money?’

’Not quite; I’ve got —­ well, I may say three hundred.  I’m not speaking of my own private income; of course, that goes on as usual, and isn’t a penny too much for —­ for ordinary expenses..’  He fidgeted again.  ’Would you care to know how I made this bit of capital?’