"This is a thing that concerns me." "Sit down," commanded one of them sharply.

"It's a cold business proposition." They silenced his objections, and sent for Grenfell, who appeared disconcerted for a moment when he heard what they had to say.

Then he laughed somewhat harshly.
"Well," he said, "I'll be glad to do it, and I don't mind admitting that the offer is a relief to me." They strolled away by and by, and Grenfell made a little grimace as he looked at Weston.
"When I can tell how the ore should pan out by a glance at the dump, and plot just how the vein should run, it's disconcerting to find that the only way I can earn a living is by washing and mending," he said.
"In fact," and he spread out his hands, "the thing's humiliating." To a certain extent Weston sympathized with him.

The man, it seemed, had been a famous assayer, and now the one capability which was of any use to him was that of neatly mending holes in worn-out garments.

He undertook the task cheerfully, however, and things went smoothly for a week or two.