▁friendship . ▁ ▁His ▁first ▁months ▁at ▁Sed le igh ▁demonstrate ▁his ▁obst inate ▁nature ; ▁unable ▁to ▁play ▁for ▁W ry k yn , ▁he ▁ref uses ▁to ▁play ▁for ▁a ▁less er ▁school , ▁missing ▁much ▁cr icket , ▁although ▁he ▁does ▁manage ▁a ▁few ▁games ▁for ▁a ▁local ▁village ▁side . ▁Gener ally ▁good - n ature d , ▁Mike ▁has ▁a ▁sharp ▁temper ▁at ▁times , ▁especially ▁when ▁he ▁sees ▁some ▁in just ice ▁done ▁to ▁himself ▁or ▁a ▁friend ; ▁he ▁is ▁invari ably ▁gener ous ▁and ▁helpful ▁to ▁friends ▁in ▁need . ▁He ▁also ▁gets ▁on ▁well ▁with ▁dogs . ▁ ▁After ▁Sed le igh , ▁Mike ▁lear ns ▁that ▁his ▁father ' s ▁fin ances ▁have ▁taken ▁a ▁bit ▁of ▁a ▁t umble , ▁and ▁rather ▁than ▁go ▁to ▁Cambridge , ▁he ▁will ▁have ▁to ▁go ▁to ▁work ▁at ▁the ▁New ▁A si atic ▁Bank . ▁He ▁sp ends ▁several ▁months ▁there , ▁despite ▁an ▁early ▁run - in ▁with ▁his ▁employ er ▁John ▁B ick ers dy ke , ▁made ▁more ▁comfortable ▁by ▁the ▁presence ▁of ▁P sm ith ▁on ▁the ▁scene , ▁and ▁eventually ▁succ umb s ▁to ▁the ▁l ure ▁of ▁sun sh ine ▁and ▁cr icket , ▁leaving ▁his ▁job ▁to ▁join ▁his ▁brother ▁Joe ▁in ▁a ▁match ▁at ▁Lord ' s . ▁P sm ith ' s ▁father ▁Mr ▁Smith , ▁seeing ▁Mike ' s ▁talent , ▁dec ides ▁to ▁h ire ▁him ▁as ▁estate ▁manager , ▁pay ing ▁for ▁him