threw back the leaf of the counter that barred his
way, and started up the long room, past the staring clerks, to the desk
next the door.

"I wish to see Mr. Fleming, Sir," he said, his voice trembling slightly,
his face pale, his blue-gray eyes ablaze.

The man at the desk looked up from his work.

"I have just informed you there is no vacancy at present," he said
testily, and turned to his papers again, as if dismissing the incident.

"Will you kindly tell me if Mr. Fleming is in?" said Cameron in a voice
that had grown quite steady; "I wish to see him personally."

"Mr. Fleming cannot see you, I tell you!" almost shouted the man, rising
from his desk and revealing himself a short, pudgy figure, with flabby
face and shining bald head. "Can't you understand English?--I can't be
bothered--!"

"What is it, Bates? Someone to see me?"

Cameron turned quickly towards the speaker, who had come from the inner
room.

"I have brought you a letter, Sir, from Mr. Denman," he said quietly;
"it is there," pointing to Bates' desk.

"A letter? Let me have it! Why was not this brought to me at once, Mr.
Bates?"

"It was an open letter, Sir," replied Bates, "and I thought there was
no need of troubling you, Sir. I told the young man we had no vacancy at
present."

"This is a personal letter, Mr. Bates, and should have been brought to
me at once. Why was Mr.--ah--Mr. Cameron not brought in to me?"

Mr. Bates murmured something about not wishing to disturb the manager on
trivial business.

"I am the judge of that, Mr. Bates. In future, when any man asks to see
me, I desire him to be shown in at once."

Mr. Bates began to apologise.

"That is all that is necessary, Mr. Bates," said the manager, in a voice
at once quiet and decisive.

"Come in, Mr. Cameron. I am very sorry this has happened!"

Cameron followed him into his office, noting, as he passed, the red
patches of rage on Mr. Bates' pudgy face, and catching a look of fierce
hate from his small piggy eyes. It flashed through his mind that in Mr.
Bates, at any rate, he had found no friend.

The result of the interview with Mr. Fleming was an intimation to Mr.
Bates that Mr. Cameron was to have a position in the office of the
Metropolitan Transportation & Cartage Company, and to begin work the
following morning.

"Very well, Sir," replied Mr. Bates--he had apparently quite recovered
his equanimity--"we shall find Mr. Cameron a desk."

"We begin work at eight