More than ever since the revelation of his mother's frailness, Peter dreamed of being rich, and since there was nothing nearer to him than the way Siegel Brothers had managed it, he devoted so much time to the scrutiny of their methods that he passed in a very short time from being head of the delivery department to the right hand of Mr.Croker.Even Blinders could not recall, in the three years he had been bundle boy, so marked an example of favouritism.
"They don't make partners any more out of underlings," Croker let him know confidentially.

"What do you think you're headed for ?" Peter explained himself.
"I wanted to find out how they did it." "And when you find out," Croker wagged at him, "you won't be able to do anything with it.

You have to have capital.

Look at the time I've been with them!" "How long is that ?" Peter was interested.
"Twenty years." Croker told him.
"In twenty years," Peter was confident, "a man ought to be able to find some capital." After that he began to observe Mr.Croker.
It is probable at this time that if he had not been concerned for his mother's health, he might have grown as dry and uninteresting as at Blodgett's they began to think him.
He was a thin young man with hair of no particular colour, and eyes that were good and rather shy about women.

He went out very little and had not, Miss Thatcher who sat opposite him was sure, a mind above his business.