he complimented me
accordingly, much to my surprise.

"Ha! Mr Lorton," he growled to me one morning, on my coming in just as
the hour was striking. "You'll be picking up the worm soon, you come so
uncommonly early! Never once down below the line--good sign! good sign!
But, it won't last, it won't last,"--he added thinking he had spoken
too graciously.--"All of you begin well and end badly; and _you_ won't
be any better than the rest!"

He then hid himself behind a foolscap folio, to signify that the
audience was ended.

It was quite an event his saying so much to me, his conversation being
mostly confined to finding fault with us in the briefest monosyllables
of the most pungent and forcible character; for, he seldom uttered a
word, save with reference to some document that might be submitted for
his approval and signature.

During the entire time that I remained under his watchful leadership, he
never spoke to me, but once again in this gracious manner. Indeed, when
I mentioned the circumstance to all the fellows, they expressed
considerable doubt as to his having spoken to me so at all, ascribing my
account of our interview to the richness of my imagination; but, he
really did say what I have related. I am rather proud of the fact than
not.

My comrades as a body were a nice, gentlemanly set; and we got on very
well together.

As a matter of course, we had one especial individual who was commonly
regarded as the butt of the room--a good-natured, heavy man, with a dull
face and a duller comprehension; but, he seemed proud and pleased always
when singled out as a mark for our chaff:--he took it as an honour, I
think, ascribing our fun to delicate attention.

We had also a "swell," who was as irreproachable in his dress as
Horner:--I remember, the whole office felt flattered when his name once
appeared in the list of those attending the Queen's Drawing-room; while,
his fashionable doings, as recorded in the columns of the _Morning
Post_, caused our room to be envied by every other division of "the
branch."--Young and old, "swell" and butt not excepted--we consorted on
the friendliest of footings. We were knit together in the closest bonds
of brotherhood; and were in the habit of looking down upon all other
departments as not to be compared to that, of which our room, was, in
our opinion, the acknowledged head.

Generally speaking, men belonging to the public service are more
gregarious, and stick to one