bed and made self-conscious by
the doggishness, the waggishness, the rakishness, of Foxall's tone. It
must be explained that, since Henry did not happen to be an 'admitted'
clerk, Foxall and himself, despite the difference in their ages and
salaries, were theoretically equals in the social scale of the office.
Foxall would say 'sir' to the meanest articled clerk that ever failed
five times in his intermediate, but he would have expired on the rack
before saying 'sir' to Henry. The favour accorded to Henry in high
quarters, the speciality of his position, gave rise to a certain
jealousy of him--a jealousy, however, which his natural simplicity and
good-temper prevented from ever becoming formidable. Foxall, indeed,
rather liked Henry, and would do favours for him in matters connected
with press-copying, letter-indexing, despatching, and other mysteries of
the office-boy's peculiar craft.

'It's a girl,' said Foxall, smiling with the omniscience of a man of the
world.

'A girl!' Somehow Henry had guessed it was a girl. 'What's she like?'

'She's a bit of all right,' Foxall explained. 'Miss Foster she says her
name is. Better show her in here, hadn't I? The old woman's in your room
now. It's nearly half-past six.'

'Yes,' said Henry; 'show her in here. Foster? Foster? I don't know----'

His heart began to beat like an engine under his waistcoat.

And then Miss Foster tripped in. And she was Goldenhair!

'Good-afternoon, Mr. Knight,' she said, with a charming affectation of a
little lisp. 'I'm so glad I've caught you. I thought I should. What a
lovely room you've got!'

He wanted to explain that this was Sir George's room, not his own, and
that any way he did not consider it lovely; but she gave him no chance.

'I'm awfully nervous, you know, and I always talk fast and loud when I'm
nervous,' she continued rapidly. 'I shall get over it in a few minutes.
Meanwhile you must bear with me. Do you think you can? I want you to do
me a favour, Mr. Knight. Only you can do it. May I sit down? Oh, thanks!
What a huge chair! If I get lost in it, please advertise. Is this where
your clients sit? Yes, I want you to do me a favour. It's quite easy for
you to do. You won't say No, will you? You won't think I'm presuming on
our slight acquaintanceship?'

The words babbled and purled out of Miss Foster's mouth like a bright
spring out of moss. It was simply wonderful. Henry did not understand
quite precisely how the phenomenon af