Not that he wished to be less well appearing, but that he was ashamed to belie his appearance by incongruous appeals.

So he hesitated, wondering what to do.
He thought of the hotels, but instantly he remembered that he had had no experience as a clerk, and, what was more important, no acquaintances or friends in that line to whom he could go.

He did know some hotel owners in several cities, including New York, but they knew of his dealings with Fitzgerald and Moy.

He could not apply to them.

He thought of other lines suggested by large buildings or businesses which he knew of--wholesale groceries, hardware, insurance concerns, and the like--but he had had no experience.
How to go about getting anything was a bitter thought.