on the
table. "I'm not used to printing."

"No," said Mr Durfy, scornfully, "I guessed not. You're too stuck-up
for us, I can tell you. Here, Barber."

An unhealthy-looking young man answered to the name.

"Take this chap here to the back case-room, and see he sweeps it out and
dusts the cases. See if that'll suit your abilities, my dandy"; and
without waiting to hear Reginald's explanations or remonstrances, Mr
Durfy walked off, leaving the unlucky boy in the hands of Mr Barber.

"Now, then, stir your stumps, Mr Dandy," said the latter. "It'll take
you all your time to get that shop straight, I can tell you, so you'd
better pull up your boots. Got a broom?"

"No," muttered Reg, through his teeth, "I've not got a broom."

"Go and get that one, then, out of the corner there."

Reginald flushed crimson, and hesitated a moment.

"Do you 'ear? Are you deaf? Get that one there."

Reginald got it, and trailing it behind him dismally, followed his guide
to the back case-room. It was a small room, which apparently had known
neither broom nor water for years. The floor was thick with dirt, and
the cases ranged in the racks against the walls were coated with dust.

"There you are," said Mr Barber. "Open the window, do you 'ear? and
don't let none of the dust get out into the composing-room, or there'll
be a row. Come and tell me when you've done the floor, and I'll show
you 'ow to do them cases. Rattle along, do you 'ear? or you won't get
it done to-day;" and Mr Barber, who had had his day of sweeping out the
shops, departed, slamming the door behind him.

Things had come to a crisis with Reginald Cruden early in his business
career.

He had _come_ into the City that morning prepared to face a good deal.
He had not counted on much sympathy or consideration from his new
employers; he had even vaguely made up his mind he would have to rough
it at first; but to be shut up in a dirty room with a broom in his hand
by a cad who could not even talk grammar was a humiliation on which he
had never once calculated.

Tossing the broom unceremoniously into a corner, he opened the door and
walked out of the room. Barber was already out of sight, chuckling
inwardly over the delicious task he had been privileged to set to his
dandy subordinate, and none of the men working near knew or cared what
this pale, handsome new boy did either in or out of the back case-room.

Reginald walked through them to the passage out