"Have we any clothes in the house that will fit this man?" asked Smith of his confederate.
"I will go and see."
The giant soon returned with a suit of clothing, not very fine or very fashionable, but elegant compared with that which Martin now wore.
"I guess these will fit you," he said. "Try them on."
Martin made the change with alacrity, and when it had been effected, surveyed himself in a mirror with considerable complacency. His temporary abstinence from liquor while at the Island had improved his appearance, and the new suit gave him quite a respectable appearance. He had no objection to appearing respectable, provided it were at other people's expense. On the whole, he was in excellent spirits, and felt that at length his luck had turned, and he was on the high road to prosperity.
CHAPTER XIV.
HOW RUFUS SUCCEEDED IN BUSINESS.
Very little has been said of Rufus in his business relations. When he entered Mr. Turner's office, he resolved to spare no pains to make himself useful, and his services satisfactory to his employer. He knew very well that he owed his situation entirely to the service which he had accidentally been able to do Mr. Turner, and that, otherwise, the latter would never have thought of selecting an office-boy from the class to which he belonged. But Rufus was resolved that, whatever might have been his original motive, he should never regret the selection he had made. Therefore he exerted himself, more than under ordinary circumstances he would have done, to do his duty faithfully. He tried to learn all he could of the business, and therefore listened attentively to all that was going on, and in his leisure moments studied up the stock quotations, so that he was able generally to give the latest quotations of prices of the prominent stocks in the market.
Mr. Turner, who was an observant man, watched him quietly, and was pleased with his evident pains to master the details of the business.