go to Jawbones. Mabel gave me a list of things to buy in Dilborough.
Glass soap and soft paper. I mean soft soap and glass paper. Lots of
other things. I've forgotten to get any of them. All I can do is to
sit here until the world comes to an end.'

"Well, I shoved him into my cab, and drove back to the 'Crown' at
Dilborough. On the way I tried to buck him up a bit, but it was no
use. He was absolutely broken-down. I asked him whose turn it was to
pay for lunch, and he said he thought it was mine. Memory going. Well,
I stuffed a drink into him and took nine myself. I can tell you I
needed them. Then I got him to go back to business. Said he must save
those lilac-bound children of his. Bright idea, what? Then I told him
he could buy the things for his wife afterwards. He went like a lamb,
too broken to resist. I confess I am worried about him. I must try to
see him again if

5

a chance of doing so."

(And that shows you again, how the number of a chapter-section may be
used economically.)

CHAPTER X

Luke knocked at the door of Mr. Diggle's room, and entered.

"I'm back," he said. "Been lunching with a man. Can I have a
partnership?"

"Not to-day, Mr. Sharper," said Diggle. "You should be more
reasonable. The whole office is more or less disorganized by the
spring-cleaning. It seems to me that you try to make more trouble. You
go out a great deal for a business man."

"I have to. Things for my wife, you know. Soft glass and paper soap.
Things of that kind."

"I don't wish to hear about it. They will not be actually beginning on
your room till Monday. It may be in some slight disorder, but that
need not prevent you from going back there and getting on with your
work. You have to write that full-page advertisement for the _'Church
Times'_, you remember."

He went on to his own room. He picked up the little booklets from the
floor, dusted each one carefully, and wrapped it in white paper. As he
was finishing the last a letter was brought in to him. The messenger
was waiting for an answer. It was in Jona's handwriting.

"Darling Lukie," she wrote, "I can bear it no more. Take me away,
please. Shall I come along to your office, or will you call for the
goods? Jona."

He collapsed in a chair, his head buried in his hands.

Half-an-hour later the clerk came in to say that the messenger was
still waiting.

"Sit down," said Luke.

The clerk sat down for half-an-hour. Luke still meditated. Then th