e which had been
offered to him, and admired the spirit with which he had stood to his
colours during the interview.

This little episode served to smooth the way for Mr Smith's interview
with Jack. It gave him time to compose himself, and get over the
emotion which the first sight of his lost son since last night's
discovery naturally roused.

When he did speak it was steadily and cheerily as ever.

"Just popped up," he said, "to wish you success, my boy. Keep your head
during the _viva-voce_, and remember that rule about the second aorist."

"All serene," said Jack, laughing. "I say, Mr Smith," added he, "if I
don't pass I shall feel myself the most ungrateful brute out."

"So you will be," replied Mr Smith, nodding pleasantly as he left the
room.

I wondered at his nerve, and admired the self-control which could thus
enable him to talk and even jest at such a time.

I had time to walk round with Jack to the place of examination before
business, and give him my final benediction at the door.

Then I hurried off to Hawk Street.

It was a long, dull day there without him. Hawk Street had long since
ceased to be exciting. The fellows I liked--and they were very few--did
not obtrude their affections on me during business hours, and the
fellows I disliked had given up the pastime of baiting me as a bad job.
I had my own department of work to attend to, and very little
communication with any one else in the doing of it, except with
Doubleday, who, as the reader knows, usually favoured me when anything
specially uninviting wanted doing.

Of Hawkesbury I now saw and heard less than any one. He had been
promoted to a little glazed-in box of his own, where in stately solitude
he managed the petty-cash, kept the correspondence, and generally worked
as hard as one who is a cut above a clerk and a cut below a partner is
expected to do.

On the day in question I was strongly tempted to break in upon his
solitude and demand an explanation of his conduct to Billy on the
preceding evening. But a moment's reflection convinced me of the folly
of such a course. It was not likely, if I got any answer at all, I
should get a satisfactory one, while to reopen communications at all
after what had occurred might be unwise and mischievous. For ever since
Hawkesbury and I had ceased to be on talking terms at the office I had
been more comfortable there, and involved in fewer troubles than ever
before.

So I let well alon