, to make a young man's life
a burden to him, are all within the compass of an official Aeolus.
You would think occasionally that such a one was resolved to turn
half the clerks in his office out into the streets,--so loud are
the threats. In regard to individuals he often is resolved to do so
at the very next fault. But when the time comes his heart misgives
him. Even an Aeolus is subject to mercy, and at last his conscience
becomes so callous to his first imperative duty of protecting the
public service, that it grows to be a settled thing with him, that
though a man's life is to be made a burden to him, the man is not
to be actually dismissed. But there are men to whom you cannot
make their life a burden,--men upon whom no frowns, no scoldings,
no threats operate at all; and men unfortunately sharp enough to
perceive what is that ultimate decision to which their Aeolus had
been brought. Such a one was our Crocker, who cared very little for
the blusterings. On this occasion he had remained away for the sake
of having an additional day with the Braeside Harriers, and when he
pleaded a bilious headache no one believed him for an instant. It
was in vain for Aeolus to tell him that a man subject to health so
precarious was altogether unfitted for the Civil Service. Crocker
had known beforehand exactly what was going to be said to him, and
had discounted it at its exact worth. Even in the presence of Mr.
Jerningham he spoke openly of the day's hunting, knowing that Mr.
Jerningham would prefer his own ease to the trouble of renewed
complaint. "If you would sit at your desk now that you have come
back, and go on with your docketing, instead of making everybody else
idle, it would be a great deal better," said Mr. Jerningham.

"Then my horse took the wall in a fly, and old Amblethwaite crept
over afterwards," continued Crocker, standing with his back to the
fire, utterly disregarding Mr. Jerningham's admonitions.

On his first entrance into the room Crocker had shaken hands with
Mr. Jerningham, then with Bobbin and Geraghty, and at last he came
to Roden, with whom he would willingly have struck up terms of
affectionate friendship had it been possible for him to do so. He had
resolved that it should be so, but when the moment came his courage
a little failed him. He had made himself very offensive to Roden at
their last interview, and could see at a glance that Roden remembered
it. As far as his own feelings were concerned s