from the
surly doorkeeper. Pulin was delighted to recognise in the stranger
a certain Kisari Mohan Chatterji, who had taught him English in the
General Assembly's College more than a decade back. In a few words he
told his sad story and learnt that Kisari Babu had taken the same step
as he himself contemplated, with the result that he was now head clerk
in Messrs. Kerr & Dunlop's export department. This news augured well
for his own ambition, but poor Pulin was disgusted on hearing that no
less than three vacancies had occurred in as many weeks, and that all
had been filled by relatives of Babu Debnath Lahiri. Kisari Babu added:
"A junior clerk is to be appointed to-morrow. Write out an application
in your very best hand, with copies of your testimonials, and bring it
to me here this evening at five. I'll see that it reaches our manager,
Henderson Saheb." Pulin punctually followed his friend's advice,
and dreamed all night of wealth beyond a miser's utmost ambition.

On arriving at Messrs. Kerr & Dunlop's office next morning he joined a
crowd of twenty or thirty young men who were bent on a like errand. His
spirits sank to zero, nor were they raised when after hanging about
in the rain for nearly two hours the aspirants were told that the
vacancy had been filled up. Thereupon the forlorn group dispersed,
cursing their ill-luck and muttering insinuations against Mr. Henderson
and his head clerk. Pulin, however, lingered behind. By tendering a
rupee to the doorkeeper he got a slip of paper and pencil, with which
he indited a piteous appeal to Kisari Babu, and a promise that it
should reach him. Presently his friend came out in a desperate hurry,
with a stylograph behind his ear, and his hands laden with papers.

"It's just as I anticipated," he whispered to Pulin. "The head
clerk has persuaded Henderson Saheb to bestow the post on his wife's
nephew. But don't be disheartened. I will speak to our Saheb about
you this very day. Come here at five to learn the result."

Pulin did so and was overjoyed to find that he had been appointed
probationary clerk in the export department on Rs. 20 per mensem,
in supersession of Debnath Babu's nominee.

On the morrow he entered on his new duties with some trepidation,
but Kisari Babu took him under his wing and spared no pains to "teach
him the ropes". Pulin spent his evenings in furbishing up his English
and arithmetic, mastered the whole art of book-keeping, and, being
naturally