Watson stares, then catches himself staring and tries to disguise casually looking away again by taking a drink of water. "At any rate, you say 'discarded' but I wouldn't say they discarded me. Why, they gave me an entire eleven shillings and sixpence a day."

His sunny smile is mirthless. "Though perhaps you don't have shillings where you are from, and you're wondering if it is a lot of money. It is not."