Saved by a Friend

The narrator's friend, who is also going to pawn his watch, takes him into the pawnshop and gets him five shillings. The narrator is saved for the moment. He spends a week in relative comfort, eating and writing. He works on several articles, but his health is poor; his hair falls out, and he is nervous. He finishes one article and takes it to the 'Commandor,' who rejects it but offers him an advance. The narrator refuses, wanting to bring something better.