In fact，I was more than willing；I was glad.When the crash should come，he might somehow be able to save me from total destruction；I didn't know how，but he might think of a way，maybe.I couldn't venture to unbosom myself to him at this late date，a thing which I would have been quick to do in the beginning of this awful career of mine in London.No，I couldn't venture it now；I was in too deep；that is，too deep for me to be risking revelations to so new a friend，though not clear beyond my depth，as I looked at it.Because，you see，with all my borrowing，I was carefully keeping within my means—I mean within my salary.Of course，I couldn't know what my salary was going to be，but I had a good enough basis for an estimate in the fact that if I won the bet I was to have choice of any situation in that rich old gentleman's gift provided I was competent—and I should certainly prove competent；I hadn't any doubt about that.And as to the bet，I wasn't worrying about that；I had always been lucky.Now my estimate of the salary was six hundred to a thousand a year；say，six hundred for the first year，and so on up year by year，till I struck the upper figure by proved merit.At present I was only in debt for my first year's salary.Everybody had been trying to lend me money，but I had fought off the most of them on one pretext or another；so this indebtedness represented only ā300borrowed money，the other ā300represented my keep and my purchases.I believed my second year's salary would carry me through the rest of the month if I went on being cautious and economical，and I intended to look sharply out for that.My month ended，my employer back from his journey，I should be all right once more，for I should at once divide the two years'salary among my creditors by assignment，and get right down to my work.
It was a lovely dinner-party of fourteen.The Duke and Duchess of Shoreditch，and their daughter the Lady Anne-Grace-Eleanor-Celeste-and-so-forth-and-so-forth-de-Bohun，the Earl and Countess of Newgate，Viscount Cheapside，Lord and Lady Blatherskite，some untitled people of both sexes，the minister and his wife and daughter，and his daughter's visiting friend，an English girl of twenty-two，named Portia Langham，whom I fell in love with in two minutes，and she with me—I could see it without glasses.There was still another guest，an American—but I am a little ahead of my story.While the people were still in the drawing-room，whetting up for dinner，and coldly inspecting the late comers，the servant announced：
“Mr.Lloyd Hastings.”
The moment the usual civilities were over，Hastings caught sight of me，and came straight with cordially outstretched hand；then stopped short when about to shake，and said，with an embarrassed look：
“I beg your pardon，sir，I thought I knew you.”
“Why，you do know me，old fellow.”
“No.Are you the—the—”
“Vest-pocket monster？I am，indeed.Don't be afraid to call me by my nickname；I'm used to it.”
“Well，well，well，this is a surprise.Once or twice I've seen your own name coupled with the nickname，but it never occurred to me that you could be the Henry Adams referred to.Why，it isn't six months since you were clerking away for Blake Hopkins in Frisco on a salary，and sitting up nights on an extra allowance，helping me arrange and verify the Gould and Curry Extension papers and statistics.The idea of your being in London，and a vast millionaire，and a colossal celebrity！Why，it's the Arabian Nights come again.Man，I can't take it in at all；can't realize it；give me time to settle the whirl in my head.”
“The fact is，Lloyd，you are no worse off than I am.I can't realize it myself.”
“Dear me，it is stunning，now isn't it？Why，it's just three months today since we went to the Miners'restaurant—”
“No；the What Cheer.”
“Right，it was the What Cheer；went there at two in the morning，and had a chop and coffee after a hard six-hours grind over those Extension papers，and I tried to persuade you to come to London with me，and offered to get leave of absence for you and pay all your expenses，and give you something over if I succeeded in making the sale；and you would not listen to me，said I wouldn't succeed，and you couldn't afford to lose the run of business and be no end of time getting the hang of things again when you got back home.And yet here you are.How odd it all is！How did you happen to come，and whatever did give you this incredible start？”
“Oh，just an accident.It's a long story—a romance，a body may say.I'll tell you all about it，but not now.”
“When？”
“The end of this month.”
“That's more than a fortnight yet.It's too much of a strain on a person's curiosity.Make it a week.”
“I can't.You'll know why，by and by.But how's the trade getting along？”
His cheerfulness vanished like a breath，and he said with a sigh：
“You were a true prophet，Hal，a true prophet.I wish I hadn't come.I don't want to talk about it.”
“But you must.You must come and stop with me to-night，when we leave here，and tell me all about it.”
“Oh，may I？Are you in earnest？”and the water showed in his eyes.
“Yes；I want to hear the whole story，every word.”
“I'm so grateful！Just to find a human interest once more，in some voice and in some eye，in me and affairs of mine，after what I've been through here—lord！I could go down on my knees for it！”
