. Griffin checked him with symptoms of another faint, and he
stopped short.

Mr. Abbert then said it was all that rascally clerk, and he ought to be
discharged at once.

"I know 'em," he added violently and with deeply implied wisdom, which,
by the way, was the only species of wisdom he ever attained to. "I know
'em, Griffin!"

Mr. Fred was of a similar opinion, and even more violent in his
denunciation of David, as he had set his heart on turkey, and the
appetite died painfully within him.

All the ladies and gentlemen were of various opinions, but all
concentrated their rage on the poor, innocent little clerk, and panted
for his clerkly death. In the midst of all this commotion the door-bell
rang, and intensified it twofold, for nobody could get through to the
door but by going around the house. This Superannuated finally did, and
brought back with her the identical little clerk,--the poor, agitated,
and bowing little clerk who had unconsciously aroused all the
indignation and tumult, whom sundry gentlemen at the lower end of the
table had threatened with severe punishment if they ever caught sight of
him, and who, now catching sight of him, were more than usually silent.

Mr. Griffin looked threateningly at him as, hat in hand, he walked up to
him, presented a letter, and, in his faint voice, said,--

"A letter for you, sir, left for me to deliver."

He took it, and David continued tremulously to say,--

"And how can I thank you, sir, and madam," turning to Mrs. Griffin, "for
the bounteous gift----"

"Gift?" exclaimed both in a breath; "what gift? Where is the turkey you
brought? What gift? What gift?"

"Why, a splendid turkey, with your card kindly----"

This was received by the company with a volley of cries and calls, by a
relapse on the part of Mrs. Griffin, and by the descent of Mr. Griffin's
hand upon David's coat-collar, and finally by poor, frightened David's
ejectment from the kitchen-door, harshly reproached by his employer as a
thief and vagabond, and warned never to show his face in his store
again.

"Be off, now!" he cried after him, "you ungrateful, deceitful old
villain!" and then he slammed the door, and joined the hungry guests, to
whom he declaimed at some length on the thanklessness of the lower
classes.

Mrs. Griffin was quickly re-restored, this time to a state of injured
perfection, and after the united apologies of herself and husband, and
more abuse of poor, luckless David Dub