He had trudged the city for five days, from one faint prospect of work to another. Times are hard, almost every prospective employer told him at the beginning of the interview, and we are looking for a man with experience. Mark had no time to pursue his quest at the library. Now he sat on the front edge of his chair waiting to thank the man and say goodbye as soon as he was dismissed, but the man went on talking long after he should have closed the interview. He was talking about the salesmen's commission, and how it was so generous that there was plenty for two.
if you know what I mean. The man winked and fitted a cigarette into his ivory holder.
Yes, of course, Mark nodded vehemently, having absolutely no idea what the man meant, but eager to please. of course, I'd be looking after you personally. If we came to some sort of arrangement, right? Right, Mark agreed, and only then did he realize that the manager was soliciting a kick-back off Mark's commission. He was going to get the job. Of course, sir. He wanted to leap up and dance. I'd like to think we were equal partners. Good. Fifty percent of Mark's commission was more than the manager had expected. Start Monday, nine o'clock sharp, he said quickly, and beamed at Mark.
Mark wrung his hand gratefully, but as he was leaving the little cubicle of the office the manager called after him. You do have a decent suit, Anders, don't you? Of course, Mark lied quickly. Wear it. He found a Hindu tailor at the Indian market who ran up a grey three-piece suit overnight, and charged him thirty-two shillings. You wear clothes beautiful, sir. Like a royal duke, the tailor told him, as he pointed Mark at the fly-blown mirror in his fitting- room, standing behind him and skillfully holding a fold of surplus material at the small of Mark's back to give the front of the suit a fashionable drape. You will be an extremely first class advertisement for my humble skills. You can drive a car, of course? the manager, whose name was Dicky Lancome, asked him casualty as they crossed the showroom floor to the glistening Cadillac.
Of course, Mark agreed. Of course, Dicky agreed. Otherwise you wouldn't have applied for a job as a car salesman, would you? Of course not. Hop in then, Dicky invited. And whip us around the block. Mark reeled mentally, but his tongue was quick enough to rescue him. I'd prefer you to point out the special features first. I've never driven a Cadillac before. Which was for once the literal truth. He had never driven a Cadillac, or any other motor vehicle, before. Righty ho, Dicky agreed, and as they sped down the Marine Parade with Dicky whistling and tipping his hat to the pretty girls on the sidewalk, Mark watched his every action with wheel and pedal avidly.
Back at the showrooms in West Street, Dicky flicked casually through a bunch of forms. If you make a sale, you fill in one of these, and make sure you get the money. Then he pulled out his watch. God, it's late. I've got a desperately important lunch date, it was a little after eleven o'clock, very important client. Then he dropped his voice, Blonde, actually. SmasherVand he winked again. See you later. But what about prices, and that sort of thing? Mark called desperately after him. There is a pamphlet on my desk. Gives you all that stuff. To-to! and Dicky disappeared through the back door.
Mark was circling the Cadillac uncertainly, utterly engrossed with the pamphlet, muttering aloud as he tried to master the operating instructions and identify the various component parts of the vehicle from the line-drawing and numerated list, when there was a tap on his arm. Excuse me, young man, but are you the salesman? Before him stood an elderly couple, the man dressed in beautifully tailored dark cloth, a carnation in his buttonhole and a cane in one hand. We would like a drive in the motor vehicle, before we decide, said the elegant lady beside him, smiling at Mark in a motherly fashion through the light veil that draped down over her eyes from the brimmed hat. The hat was decorated with artificial flowers, and her hair below the brim was washed silver and neatly waved.
Mark felt waves of panic threaten to engulf him. He looked about desperately for an escape, but already the gentleman was handing his wife into the front seat of the Cadillac.
Mark closed the doors on the couple, and ducked behind the machine for one last brief perusal of the operating pamphlet. Depress clutch pedal with left foot, engage gear lever up and left, depress accelerator pedal firmly with right foot, release clutch pedal, he muttered, stuffed the pamphlet into his pocket and hurried to the driver's seat.
The gentleman sat forward in the centre of the back seat, both hands resting on the head of his cane, grave and attentive as a judge.
His wife beamed kindly at Mark. How old are you, young man? Twenty, ma'am, almost twenty-one. Mark pressed the starter and the engine growled, so she had to raise her voice. My, she nodded, the same age as my own son. Mark gave her a pale and sickly grin, as he silently repeated the instructions in his mind.
, _ accelerate firmly. The engine beat rose to a deafening bellow, and Mark clung to the driving-wheel until the knuckles of both hands blanched with the pressure of his grip.
Do you live at home? asked his passenger. No, ma'am, Mark answered and let out the clutch. The back wheels screeched like a wounded stallion, and a blue cloud blew out from behind as the entire machine seemed to rear upwards, and then hurl itself, slewing wildly, towards the street doors, leaving two long black rubber smears across the polished showroom floor.
Mark fought the wheel and the Cadillac swayed and skidded, lined up with the doors at the last possible moment and careered into the street, moving sideways like a crab. A team of horses drawing a passing coach shied out of the path of the roaring machine, and behind Mark the elderly gentleman managed to struggle up into a sitting position again and find his cane. Good acceleration! Mark shouted above the roar of the engine. Excellent, agreed his passenger, his eyes popping in the rear view mirror.
His wife adjusted her flowered hat that had come down over her eyes, and shook her head sadly. You young oys! As soon as you leave home you starve yourselves. I could tell you are living on your own, you are as thin as Mark took the intersection of Smith and Aliwal at the charge, but halfway through it a heavily laden lorry lumbered across their front and Mark spun the wheel nimbly.
The Cadillac changed direction ninety degrees and ducked into Aliwal on two wheels.
as a rake, said the lady, holding firmly to the door handle with one hand, and with the other to her hat. You should come up to the house one Sunday for a decent meal. Thank you, ma'am, that's very kind. When Mark stopped the Cadillac against the pavement in front of the showrooms at last, his hand was shaking so feverishly that he had to make a second effort to earth the magneto. He could feel the damp of nervous sweat soaking through the jacket of his new suit, and he had not the strength to let himself out of the cab.
Incredible, said the elderly gentleman in the back seat. What control, what mastery, I feel quite young again. It was very nice, dear, his wife agreed. We'll take her, her husband decided impulsively, and Mark could not believe he had heard right. He had made his first sale. Wouldn't it be nice if this young man would come to us as a chauffeur. He is such an excellent driver. No, ma'am, Mark nearly panicked again. I couldn't think of leaving my job here, thank you all the same. Jolly good show, old man. Dicky Lancome folded the two five-pound notes that were his half-share of Mark's commission on the sale of the Cadillac. I can see a great future ahead for you. Oh, I don't know, Mark demurred modestly. A great future, Dicky predicted sagely. But just one thing, old man, that suit, he shuddered gently, let me introduce you to my tailor, now that you can afford it. No offence, of course, but that looks like you are on your way to a fancy-dress ball. That evening after close of business Mark hurried back to the library for the
