to the best of your ability."

And what shall be said of the half dozen clerks? Amazement, confusion
and consternation were each and all vividly depicted on their faces. Mr.
Stephens' clerk! a highly valued clerk! Mr. Stephens, of all men in the
city, the last to be offended! Disgrace and dismissal stared them in the
face. For a little minute Theodore was tempted--half a dozen dignified
words now, and he understood Mr. Stephens' position well enough to know
that these same clerks would not be likely to offend in the same place
again. One little moment, the next he turned on his heel and followed
Cummings, the aforesaid Charlie, whose face was blazing, into the next
room. A word, though, of private exhortation could not be amiss.

"You blundered, you see, this time," he said to Cummings, still
good-naturedly. "Wouldn't it be well not to judge a fellow _always_ by
the cut of his coat?"

"You're a brick!" burst forth the amazed Cummings. "I expected to be
blown higher than a kite, and get my walking ticket besides. You're the
best-natured fellow I ever saw."

"You're mistaken again, my friend. I lost my good nature almost
entirely, and came within a word of telling the whole story; only one
little thing hindered me."

"What was it?"

"Why I was reading in a very old book, just before I came out this
morning, and one sentence read: 'Whatsoever ye would that men should do
to you, do ye even so to them,' and I thought to try it."

"Humph!" said Cummings.

But no descendant of the royal line could have been served more royally
than was our friend Mallery at that house, by that young man, then and
thereafter.

CHAPTER XVIII.

"WINE IS A MOCKER."

Theodore, or "Mallery," which was the name grown most familiar to him,
was rushing down town belated and in haste. The business which had
called him out had taken longer than the time which had been assigned to
it, and in consequence the next appointment was likely to suffer. At the
corner he paused and considered. "Let me see--if I go down this block,
and up the track to the next corner, I shall save--one, two, three, four
blocks. Yes, it will pay; I'll do it." On he went, struck the track
presently, and moved rapidly along the iron walk. An unusual sight
suddenly presented itself to his eyes, that of a carriage and two
powerful horses coming around the curve, and making a carriage drive of
the railway track. It took but a moment of time to discover three
things