"That's right. And of course you will give yourself a receipt for it in
the company's name. Curious, isn't it?"

With which pleasantry Mr Medlock departed, promising to look in
frequently, and meanwhile to send in a fresh directory marked, and some
new circulars for him to get on with.

Reginald, not quite sure whether it was all as good as he expected, set
to work without delay to put into practice the various instructions he
had received.

Mr Medlock's invitation to him to see everything was comfortable could
hardly be fully realised on 13 shillings a week. That must wait for
Christmas, and meanwhile he must make the best of what he had.

He set Love to work folding and enclosing the new circulars (this time
calling attention to some extremely cheap globes and blackboards for
ladies' and infants' schools), while he drew himself up a programme of
his daily duties, in accordance with his impression of the directors'
wishes. The result of this was that he came to the conclusion he should
have his hands very full indeed--a possibility he by no means objected
to.

But it was not clear to him how he was to get much outdoor exercise or
recreation, or how he was to go to church on Sundays, or even to the
bank on weekdays, if the office was never to be left. On this point he
consulted Mr Medlock when he called in later in the day, and arranged
that for two hours on Sunday, and an hour every evening, besides the
necessary walk to the bank, he might lock up the office and take his
walks abroad. Whereat he felt grateful and a little relieved.

It was not till about four days after his arrival that the first crop of
circulars sown among the clergy yielded their firstfruits. On that day
it was a harvest with a vengeance. At least 150 letters arrived. Most
of them contained the two pounds and an order for the suit. In some
cases most elaborate measurements accompanied the order. Some asked for
High Church waistcoats, others for Low; some wished for wideawake hats,
others for broad-brimmed clericals. Some sent extra money for a school-
boy's suit as well, and some contained instructions for a complete
family outfit. All were very eager about the matter, and one or two
begged that the parcel might be sent marked "private."

Reginald had a busy day from morning till nearly midnight, entering and
paying in the cash and forwarding the orders to Mr John Smith. He
organised a beautiful tabular account, in which were e