f."

Mr. Saunders thanked him, and reaching down his coat put it on and
followed Mr. Hartley to the house. The latter, steering him round by the
side-entrance, accompanied him to the front gate.

"If you would like to borrow my roller or lawn-mower at any time," he
said, cordially, "I should be very pleased to lend them to you. It
isn't very far."

Mr. Saunders, who would sooner have died than have been seen dragging
a roller through the streets, thanked him warmly. With an idea of
prolonging his stay, he suggested looking at them.

"They're locked up now," said Mr. Hartley. "See them another time.
Good-night."

"Good-night," said Mr. Saunders. "I'll look in to-morrow evening, if I
may."

"No use to-morrow," Mr. Hartley called after him; "there will be nobody
at home but Joan."

CHAPTER II

MR. ROBERT VYNER entered upon his new duties with enthusiasm. The second
day he was at the office half an hour before anybody else; on the third
day the staff competed among themselves for the honour of arriving
first, and greeted him as respectfully as their feelings would permit
when he strolled in at a quarter to eleven. The arrival of the senior
partner on the day following at a phenomenally early hour, for the sake
of setting an example to the junior, filled them with despair.
Their spirits did not revive until Mr. John had given up the task as
inconvenient and useless.

A slight fillip was given to Robert's waning enthusiasm by the arrival
of new furniture for his room. A large mahogany writing-table, full of
drawers and pigeon-holes, gave him a pleasant sense of importance, and
the revolving chair which went with it afforded a welcome relief to
a young and ardent nature. Twice the office-boy had caught the junior
partner, with his legs tucked up to avoid collisions, whirling wildly
around, and had waited respectfully at the door for the conclusion of
the performance.

[Illustration: The office boy caught the Junior Partner 020]

"It goes a bit stiff, Bassett," said the junior partner.

"Yessir," said Bassett.

"I'm trying to ease it a bit," explained Mr. Robert.

"Yessir," said Bassett again.

Mr. Robert regarded him closely. An undersized boy in spectacles, with
a large head and an air of gravity and old age on his young features,
which the junior thought somewhat ill-placed for such an occasion.

"I suppose you never twizzle round on your chair, Bassett?" he said,
slowly.

Bassett shivered at th