confused and chafing inwardly.

I was anxious to get the ceremony over as soon as possible, and
therefore walked straight up to his desk, and, placing the thirty
shillings before him, said, in a voice which I did not trouble to
conceal from the other clerks present.

"That's the thirty shillings you paid Wallop for me the other day,
Hawkesbury. I'm much obliged for the loan of it."

If some one had informed him he was to start in five minutes for the
North Pole, he could not have looked more amazed or taken aback.
Nothing, evidently, had been farther from his thoughts than that I
should be able to repay the loan, and to have it here returned into his
hands before I had been his debtor a week fairly astonished him.

His face darkened suddenly into an expression very unusual with him, as
he looked first at the money, then at me.

However, I gave him no time to say anything, but hurried off to my desk,
feeling--for the first time since my return to Hawk Street--that there
was not a man at the office I dared not look in the face.

As I expected, he sidled up to me at the first opportunity.

"Batchelor," said he, "you must really take the money back. I am sure
you must want it. I should be quite uncomfortable to feel I was
depriving you of it."

And so saying, he actually laid the two coins down on my desk.

"Thank you," I began; "but if--"

"Please don't talk so loud," said he; "I would rather everybody didn't
hear."

"Then," said I, "kindly take the money off my desk. It's yours."

"But, really, Batchelor, I don't feel comfortable--"

"I do," I interrupted.

"I am sure you are not in a position to afford it," said he. "Excuse my
asking, but--"

"I suppose you'd like to know where I got it from," said I, irritated at
his persistency. "You may be surprised to hear I didn't steal it, and
equally surprised to hear I have no notion of gratifying your
curiosity."

I was perfectly amazed at my own hardihood in thus addressing him. But
now I had paid him I was afraid of him no more. He was too much put out
to keep up his chronic smile as he said. "I hardly expected to be
spoken to in this way by you, Batchelor, after all that has happened.
If you had been left to yourself, I'm sure you would not have spoken so,
but your friend Smith appears to have a special spite against me."

I was tempted to retort, but did not, and he went back pensively to his
desk, taking the money with him.

The remainder of