ess whether
work might be required from me or not."

"If I'm wanted as hand now, Sir Raffle, I'm ready."

"That's all very well;--but why were you not here at the hour I
named?"

"Well, Sir Raffle, I cannot say that the Chancellor of the Exchequer
detained me;--but there was business. As I've been here for the last
two hours, I am happy to think that in this instance the public
service will not have suffered from my disobedience."

Sir Raffle was still standing with his hat on, and with his back to
the fire, and his countenance was full of wrath. It was on his tongue
to tell Johnny that he had better return to his former work in the
outer office. He greatly wanted the comfort of a private secretary
who would believe in him,--or at least pretend to believe in him.
There are men who, though they have not sense enough to be true,
have nevertheless sense enough to know that they cannot expect to be
really believed in by those who are near enough to them to know them.
Sir Raffle Buffle was such a one. He would have greatly delighted in
the services of some one who would trust him implicitly,--of some
young man who would really believe all that he said of himself and of
the Chancellor of the Exchequer; but he was wise enough to perceive
that no such young man was to be had; or that any such young
man,--could such a one be found,--would be absolutely useless for any
purposes of work. He knew himself to be a liar whom nobody trusted.
And he knew himself also to be a bully,--though he could not think so
low of himself as to believe that he was a bully whom nobody feared.
A private secretary was at the least bound to pretend to believe in
him. There is a decency in such things, and that decency John Eames
did not observe. He thought that he must get rid of John Eames, in
spite of certain attractions which belonged to Johnny's appearance
and general manners, and social standing, and reputed wealth. But
it would not be wise to punish a man on the spot for breaking an
appointment which he himself had not kept, and therefore he would
wait for another opportunity. "You had better go to your own room
now," he said. "I am engaged on a matter connected with the Treasury,
in which I will not ask for your assistance." He knew that Eames
would not believe a word as to what he said about the Treasury,--not
even some very trifling base of truth which did exist; but the boast
gave him an opportunity of putting an end to the interview afte